The Coins Series
by KSuzie
Summary: The Coins is my tribute to 15 years of Power Rangers. It draws on the Muirantian aspect of the movies, features Kim as a strong lead, and includes many standard pairings. Kim/Tommy.
1. Chapter 1: History

The Coins

By: KSuzie

Prologue: History

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_(Edited 7-2008)History_ is the prologue for _The Coins _and explains the ten year history for some of the primary characters in my world. _The Coins _will start moving forward with _Reunions_, but a history is needed to explain some of the deviations I've made. _The Coins _also assumes that the reader is familiar with MMPR through Space and has a basic knowledge of some of the other Rangers throughout the years. Bear with me, I promise that, once the story gets going, you're in for a wild ride. That said, I hope you have as much fun reading it as I've had playing with it.

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_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__ The Coins first debuted in January of 2007 and is my tribute to 15 years of Power Rangers in the US. Although the story is technically complete, I'm still tweaking it more than a year later. _

_It follows both movies, acknowledging Dulcea and innate spirit totems, and assumes that Jason and Kimberly did not leave the island of Muirantias unaffected by their experience. It should be noted that t__he premise of the Coins and character of the of the Demon King originated from a movie script outlined by several of my friends and myself and I give them total credit for their ideas. It should also be noted, however, that I completely deviated from those outlines and use my own liberal interpretation of "PR canon."_ _(For instance: The script was Tommy/Kat and acknowledged the Ninjor version of the Ninjetti powers over Dulcea.)_

_The Coins is a Kim/Tommy story, because that's what my daughter wanted me to write, but I also don't believe in bashing Kat. There are also several other standard pairings and very few original characters. _

_That said, __The original character of Carri Hillard is not my character and is adapted from KJ's Ranger Scrolls and Legacy series (my bio page contains a link to her stories or if you go to fanfiction's home page and add in /u/4024/KJ and it will take you to her bio page__). She created her in 1997 to be the fiery cousin to the mild and well mannered Katherine Hillard. KJ's stories introduced me to the world of fanfiction and she is the one who encouraged me to write this story from start to finish. To me, Carri was already firmly established in my mind as a PR character before I ever began writing; it just didn't feel right without her. I understand she is new to almost everyone else, but I hope you will grow to love her as much as I have._

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All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg, Rexo, and the Nova Rangers belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

_**All events in The Coins take place in an alternate dimension.**_

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Kim sat at her desk lightly fingering the embossed card. It read: _Angel Grove Class of 1997_, with the school seal and _10 Year Reunion_ stamped in bright gold. It certainly didn't feel like ten years had gone by. It had been a blink, a fold in time that she hadn't realized had passed. Yet somehow that time had stealthily slipped by her unnoticed; silently drifting away like clouds across the blue skies of her home world.

The mental image made her smile wistfully and she indulged her mind, letting it wander, remembering the good times with her friends and Zordon as well as the bad times; like her parents divorce. High school seemed like a surreal fantasy. Christmases and dances and a boyfriend that was the epitome of her young world. All that was left of it now were memories that were more than a decade old. She had been gone a little over 11 years, graduating absentia with little fanfare except a small plaque in the hallway commemorating her gold medals at the Pan Games; metals that were stuffed indifferently in a storage box somewhere. The Pan Games had pretty much put an end to everything high school. She hadn't even attended the graduation ceremony, she'd been in New York on a publicity tour for her gymnastics team and more than one person reported back that many had been startled to hear her name called; simply assuming she was attending another school in Florida.

Gymnastics hadn't been a bad thing; privately she'd loved almost every moment of the experience. The year of graduation had been a whirlwind of interviews, autograph signings, commercials, and personal appearances. She'd been so busy that half the time she didn't even know what city she was in; her face on so many magazines that it had taken years for her to sort through the boxes of them that her mother had saved. Her family, both in Paris and in California, had complained bitterly that she hadn't come to visit, but there had simply been no time. She was the darling of the sports world; eating up every second of it before it melted away and she was simply last season's champion.

She smiled quietly to herself. It had all gone by in an instant. Jason had insisted she come back with him to Angel Grove at least once, and she eventually agreed, if only to explain things to Tommy, but that had been a disaster. She and Jason had been kidnapped and taken to Muirantias where they had been lowered into Maligore's pit of fire and changed forever.

She bit her lip at the memory; nothing had been the same after that. Tommy had already moved on and she supposed that was a good thing considering the years that followed. Lerigot may have opened their hearts to the good, but he had been far too weak at the time to actually reverse Maligore's damage; if such a remedy were even possible. By the time they reached the command center, Zordon had warned them it might be many years before the alterations in their DNA began to manifest; changes that had dominated both of their lives ever since.

She shook herself and blinked hard to cleanse her mind of that particular line of thought. She looked at the small wall clock her mother had bought her in Switzerland the previous Christmas, half past twelve and definitely not the time to reflect on bad memories. She glanced down at the invitation and traced her finger along the registration website. If she was going to attend, she had to respond by that evening.

"Enough already." Her friend Carri said as she collapsed into the window seat; startling her and shaking the last vestiges of her musing away. She was still in her pajamas and was balancing a cup of coffee on her knees. Her long dark hair spilled carelessly over the pink and white fluffy pillows her mom had bought and placed there on her last visit. "You've been staring at that thing for two days. Either say yes, or say no, but make a decision already and get on with life."

Kim looked up at her friend, who had been visiting for the past few days. Carri seldom rose before eleven if she didn't have to and had obviously just tumbled out of bed. She had met Carri Hillard through her cousin Katherine. Carri's father was a successful producer in New York and Katherine had written him about their friend Adam's idea for adventure travel show. The show would follow two guys as they investigated hidden places around the world to rock climb, hang glide, hike and find other offbeat places tourists didn't usually go. Carri's father had liked the idea and agreed to 10 episodes, but only if the guys were replaced with pretty girls; he'd also given Adam two weeks to get started.

Adam, who had already recruited two of his high school friends, had been at a loss to find two qualified replacements on such short notice. Katherine had flat out refused. She had just returned from a stint in a very prestigious dance academy in England and would not leave college, her dance students, or her boyfriend to go traipsing around the world on a mad schedule, alternately sweating with the heat or freezing to death. In desperation, he called on Aisha, who immediately suggested Kim.

For Kim, it had been perfect timing. She had been devastated by the news of Zordon's death. Zordon was more than just a teacher or mentor to her; he had taken the place of a father figure when Kim's own father had simply walked out. Even her stepfather, who loved her like his own, couldn't fill the void the great wizard had left behind. Her tour with the gymnastics team was coming to an end and she had decided, despite her coach's urging, not to return and try for another Pan Games. She was nearly twenty by this point and had felt practically ancient for a tier one gymnast. In her mind, it was far better to leave as a legend than to be ousted unceremoniously by younger talents. Ten weeks of extreme tourism had sounded like a perfect way to re-evaluate her life and figure out what she wanted to do next.

Adam was thrilled that she signed on, but crushed when Aisha decided at the last minute she couldn't take so much time off of school; especially when news came that her scholarship would be in jeopardy if she withdrew from her classes. A roller coaster week had followed. One minute they had a replacement, the next they didn't. Finally, when all seemed to fall into place, Kim's co-host had gone on a drinking binge the night before they were supposed to leave and failed to show up at the airport. The entire project seemed doomed before it ever got started.

Carri, who had come to the New York airport with Katherine to see the group off, had suddenly, without any warning, jumped in and volunteered to go. She used her father's credit card to purchase a ticket for the flight and jumped on board the plane without a toothbrush or change of clothing. And that was that. They were off on their first adventure; herding cows in Montana. Off camera as well as on, Kim and Carri became fast friends and the chemistry showed. The first ten episodes were almost immediately picked up by a cable network and fans thrilled to watch the pair traverse canyons, climb glaciers, and crawl through caves in the middle of nowhere; still managing to find somewhere to shop afterward.

Why Carri had made the impulsive leap didn't remain a mystery for very long. Kim learned that she had joined into the project simply because she was desperate to escape the boyfriend that she had found herself engaged to. She had agreed to marry her high school sweetheart, not because she was so happy ever after in love with him, but because people expected it. She had felt stuck in the claustrophobic relationship and was realizing if she didn't do something drastic, she'd continue to live, not her own life, but the life her parents expected. Carri wanted more, she just didn't know how to get it.

In the last year before Adam and Kim had stumbled into her life, she had realized she was heading down the wrong path, but could find no one to help her change course. Adam's project had been providential and for years afterward, to his embarrassment, she credited him with saving her life; or at least her sanity.

Her parents hadn't exactly been overjoyed by her change of heart though. Her mother adored her fiancé and assured her she just had cold feet. Her father simply reminded her that he'd already spent tens of thousands of dollars on a wedding. When coaxing and cajoling hadn't worked, he had threatened to disown her; that is, before seeing the first three episodes and realizing the potential profit of the first season. At that point, he suddenly did an about face and made her sign the same contract Kim had. At the news that her daughter simply wasn't coming back home to get married, her mother cried daily to the point where Carri stopped taking her phone calls for nearly three months.

The rest of her family was equally as stunned by her actions. Even Katherine shook her head, commenting that her cousin had always been such a prissy little thing and her actions were totally out of character. True, she had been captain of her high school cheerleading squad, but Carri was a most popular clone; bursting into tears if her manicure chipped. Extreme travel was so far out of character it was laughable.

But Adam and Kim never knew that Carri. From the hour she boarded that plane to Montana, she'd decided to re-write her life. She was no longer Carri the college cheerleader or Carri, David Myers's fiancé; she was Carri Hillard, TV co-host. She was an independent woman who would tackle any physical challenge and do it just as well as any guy, if not better. She defined her own terms and the hell with anyone who disagreed with it.

Her brother Josh had thought the whole debacle hilarious, but after screening the first few episodes featuring his sister driving cattle in one of Kim's tank tops and forging her way through a canyon river, even he had to admit his little sister was doing pretty okay by herself.

"Well?" Carri asked sharply, breaking her train of thought. "Did you even notice I came in?"

"Of course I did," Kim answered, giving her a sarcastic smile, "I couldn't miss those bright yellow PJ's if I tried."

In response, Carri tossed one of the copious little pillows in the window seat toward her and she caught it, tossing it back.

"I was just thinking about how we met." She mused, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she reminisced.

"Oh joy of joys" Carri responded dryly, scooting further back into the seat and leaning her head back against the window, "I still hate cows."

Kim smiled. The sports bras and tank tops had been a horrible idea. Even massive amounts of sun block hadn't controlled the sunburn, but it had sold the show and quickly became their trademark of sorts. One season had turned into two, and tank tops were frequently replaced with bikini tops, but by then Adam was tired of it and had jumped on an offer by Carri's father to return to New York; especially since it meant he'd be working with his girlfriend Tonya.

The two girls trekked on for another two years before they both knew it was time to move on. One bitterly cold day at the base camp of Everest, the two looked at each from beneath ice crusted lashes and silently agreed they were both completely insane. They vowed to spend the next six months on a beach, any beach, in California. But once there, Carri grew restless and, with mounting pressure from her parents to come home and at least finish college, she accepted a new job, traveling around the world and evaluating the best places to shop. Kim had quietly shaken her head, commenting dryly to anyone who would listen that only Carri could have managed to procure a job that actually paid her to go shopping; to add insult, over the next three years, she actually became quite famous for it.

For her part, Kim had had enough of television and enough of adventure and enough of being famous. She wanted peace and quiet in her life, but it was not to be. At twenty-three, she could no longer hide the effects of Maligore's pit. A few years before, Carri had discovered her developing ability to open transportation portals. Kim had sneezed a little too hard and the two of them were sent careening through space. Fortunately, they had gone no further than Aquitar and had been given a ride home by a very confused Billy who eagerly used the excuse of returning the girls to return home as well. Carri, far from being scared out of her mind by what had happened, found the whole idea that her friend had once been a pink power ranger fascinating and had prattled on for months that she was more than a little envious.

About that time, Jason had also had to call his life to a halt to deal with his new abilities and had convinced Kim to join him in finding a solution to the problems they were facing. At Billy's urging, they avoided both Aquitar and Eltar and briefly subjected themselves to the researchers at NASADA; who were just beginning to study the effects of morphanological energy on DNA. The researchers had been fascinated with Kim's ability to manipulate portals seemingly out of thin air and Jason's astounding muscle strength and ability to see heat signatures, but for all the tests and studies, no one was even considering how to reverse them. In fact, to Kim's horror, NASADA was actually eager to develop them and pursue their utilization.

This had not been a good time for either of them. Both were scared senseless by what was happening, both desperate for answers, and both suffering immense physical pain as slowly, cell by cell, their human DNA was mutated by the no longer dormant Muirantian influences embedded inside them by the pit.

While Zordon had lived, he had kept those influences from manifesting themselves, now that Zordon was gone, so was any protection he had bestowed upon them. No one, not even Alpha Five, knew how he had held the metamorphosis off for so long. At that point in time, they had both been forced to accept what was happening to them and that their role in the universe was about to dramatically change in ways they had no control over.

Frustrated, Kim found herself leaving Angel Grove once again and drifting up the coast to Turtle Cove University and their Botany program. Bound and determined to live her life despite what was happening, she enrolled in as many classes as she could. She had been the president of the Botany Club in high school and despite the fact that the chemistry needed was excruciatingly hard after so long an absence from school, she found herself enjoying college life and attending classes year round.

Jason, frustrated beyond measure by what seemed to him to be her head-in-the-sand attitude, had taken the opposite route and embraced his abilities. He began using NASASDA as a springboard for adventures both on Earth and elsewhere; determined to use his new abilities and power in the ways Zordon had taught him as a teen.

As his involvement with the Rangers grew, especially with the Red Assembly, which had sprung up from a secret project known as Hexagon, he pulled Kim forcefully, and many times kicking and screaming, with him. Eventually, she'd capitulated and agreed to help him whenever he needed it; just as long as he steered her clear of Tommy's notice. This had the unintentional consequence of introducing her to many other "retired" Rangers like Cole Evans, who also called Turtle Cove home, and spring boarding her into adventures even Jason didn't know about.

At this point in her life, friends and family observed that she appeared to settle into her life, although in reality nothing could have been further from the truth. Still, on the outside, things appeared to be good. Her stepfather had supervised investing her money from her television show and two books and those investments had left her in the enviable position of graduating with her BS debt free. She purchased a small home up the hill from the cove itself and had began to renovate it and she also had enough of a small income from a trust fund set up by her grandfather to live fairly comfortably while pursuing her masters. The years had simply slipped by.

But Kim hadn't been nearly as quiet as it looked on the outside. It had started with the knowledge that Rita and Zedd hadn't been destroyed at all, but had been "purified" and turned into humans as a second chance of sorts. Kim had accidentally run into them several years before on her travels and a sort of odd friendship had developed. Rita had known right away that all was not as it seemed with her and eventually, in desperation for help, Kim had sought her advice on how to deal with her troublesome powers.

Rita's enchantment with the human world had been short lived. She soon realized that her powers were not lost forever, but were in fact quite whole. Mindful of her second chance, she had set herself up as a force for good; much to Kim's amusement. Her first priority was to proclaim herself Kim's new mentor, making sure she got control over her powers before they got control over her. She may not be the evil queen she once was, she once told Kimberly, but she was still a damn good sorceress. As Kim had nowhere else to turn, she had accepted Rita's offer. To their mutual surprise, Kim was an adept study and Rita surprised her one day by musing out loud to herself that Kim actually had the potential to become quite an accomplished witch if she really wanted to.

Jason, however, had been furious. Upon learning of the association, he had lost his temper and yelled and blustered and finally screamed at her so forcefully that the windows of her small house had rattled. Far from cowed or even contrite, Kim had simply found herself informing him less and less of her activities.

As her powers and hidden talents developed though, so did her mishaps. One afternoon, not long after Jason's explosion in her living room, Kim found herself developing a high fever. Carri, who was visiting in-between show segments, began to get seriously worried about her and had called Jason in a panic for help. As he arrived, Kim, who had been having a fairly vivid nightmare about Ivan Ooze, had reached out and transported the three of them back six thousand years to Ivan's first appearance on Earth.

Their presence, the Zordon of the past had told them, was fortuitous. Ivan had already destroyed three of the five ancient Rangers and the other two were quickly losing hope. Cured of her fever, Kimberly was able to recall that Ivan had been sealed in some sort of containment egg when the future Rangers had found him. To her surprise, Zordon had quickly assigned her to lead the Rangers to Phaedos in search of Dulcea, who could hopefully give them enough Ninjetti power to, if not defeat Ivan, seal him in a containment field as she had suggested.

For Carri, it had been her first experience as a yellow Power Ranger and she was loath to give it up when they completed their mission. At Zordon's insistence that she could not return to the future as a Ranger from Earth's past, she had reluctantly given her morpher to a chosen successor. However, to their surprise, Zordon allowed them to keep their Ninjetti powers. Those powers, he said, had been given to them by Dulcea and were not bound by space/time restrictions of Earth's morphin grid.

It was during this time that Kim first learned that Zordon might not be gone forever at all, but very much alive. Somewhere. To her frustration, she was the only one who actually believed the rumors and could find no one to take her seriously. Annoyed and discouraged, once again she turned to Rita for help, but although she admitted to being curious, she also thought Kim's quest was useless. If Zordon was alive, she scolded, he obviously didn't want to be found.

But Kim was not one to be thwarted. In her mind, she owed it to Zordon to track down every possible lead. She had always said that the worst thing about leaving the Rangers was losing the ability to transport, but now, however, things were different. Her power to open travel portals had grown and stabilized and with a little help from her Ninjetti powers and some good advice from the Zordon of the past, she struck out on her own to find him; eventually recruiting a few curious followers.

So much had happened since then that she wasn't even sure she dared think about it. Through a series of strange events, including being married off against her will, she had become a surrogate member of a new team who had taken up her quest to find Zordon as well as the six original power coins. She had been married, divorced, adopted, and now targeted by one of the scariest villains she'd ever come across. It wasn't exactly what she'd been shooting for when she'd started.

The closer she got to Zordon's trail, the more it eluded her, but at the same time she somehow managed to become so deeply entangled and intertwined in the old wizard's legacy that she couldn't stop. It was a self perpetuating chase and it only became more complicated and mind boggling as she went along. To her dismay, she began spending more and more time off world and, despite her growing abilities, her absences began to become evident. With people speculating and with the increasing demands of school, she had just decided to take some time off from her search when Carri had arrived unexpectantly and unannounced just before the fourth of July holiday.

Despite her protests that she was tired and needed to catch up on her sleep after a hard semester, her friend had whisked her away for three days of mind-boggling shopping, pedicures, and other spa treatments until Kim had cried uncle and insisted they stay home for a day, if only so she could open her mail and pay a few bills.

"Either pay attention to me or I'm leaving…with the new shoes you bought yesterday." Carri's voice rang out, bringing her once again into the present and causing her to sigh heavily.

"Ten years Carri." She said wistfully, a small frown lining her forhead.

"Yeah, so…it's been a damn good run kiddo. You've done a hell of a lot."

"Yeah." Kim said. "That's what I've been thinking about." She looked at the invitation again, then set it down firmly. "I'm not going." She decided.

"Why?" asked Carri, sitting up and putting her coffee on Kim's desk. She had been afraid of this. Ever since that damn marriage thing on Rheiga 4, Kim had practically shut herself away. She rarely confided in anyone anymore; not Carri, not even Jason. She just seemed to lock her door and hide in her greenhouse. That was part of the reason Carri had cancelled her trip to Greece and descended upon her conclave. In their opinion, she was quickly becoming a hermit.

"Why should I go?" Kim asked. "I don't have anyone I want to see that I don't already keep in touch with."

"Kat will be there." Carri offered casually, picking up her coffee cup and examining it like it was a precious artifact. "So will Tommy."

"Yeah, like that's gonna be a good reunion." She snorted. "The exact reason not to go."

Despite her best efforts, Kim's relationship with Katherine Hillard had deteriorated over the past ten years. The two were barely civil. Kat and Tommy had parted ways mid college and Kim had learned through the grapevine that part of the reason lay in Kat's accusations that Tommy regretted breaking up with his former girlfriend. It was ridiculous really. Kim figured it had way more to do with Tommy's unwillingness to give up the Rangers and his tendency to take off across the galaxy and play hero than any past affection for her. Besides, she and Tommy had talked at length about it a few years back. They were moving in totally opposite directions and high school had been far removed from where they were going as adults.

At the time, Tommy had been doubling up on his classes in an effort to graduate college early and get into an exclusive masters program that would take him through to his PhD. Kim had given up on the idea of college altogether to go trekking around the world with Carri.

It had been a short layover near Angel Grove International Airport and Carri had desperately wanted to stop and see her cousin. Finding Kim and Tommy with their heads together in quiet conversation, Kat had exploded and Kim left in a huff. It wasn't like she had expected Tommy to take her side against Kat, but the conversation had been innocent. Tommy, however, had chosen to remain quiet and say nothing, as if he was tired of that particular argument and had nothing to say. The two had broken up shortly after and Tommy had packed up and headed off to Reefside to start his masters degree. He and Kim hadn't spoken since, except for a few brief and often barely civil encounters, and even Carri's relationship with her cousin had remained a bit strained.

"Kat's going to be there with Chris." Carri added, one finger pulling a thread on one of the pillows. "I think she's actually going to marry him."

"Does he at least have a job now?" Kim asked, barely keeping the distaste out of her voice. At this point, she didn't care a whit who Kat Hillard ended up with, but Carri's relationship with her cousin had once again begun to suffer due to Carri's vocal disapproval of her boyfriend and she had resigned herself to being Carri's sounding board on the matter.

"He's working part time in the Pro Shop at Angel Grove Country Club."

"Oh well, now there's a stellar career move for someone with six years of college." She drolled, then smiled as Carri rolled her eyes heavenward and readjusted her seat in the window, sipping her coffee.

"Kat's thrilled for him…if only because she doesn't have to shell out his greens fees anymore."

"No," Kim sighed heavily, staring at the invitation again. "I'm not gonna go." Kim said. "What's the point? I have no reason to go and several to stay. Tommy and I avoid each other like the plague since the blow out. I saw his confirmation online, that's like a neon sign broadcasting through the internet that I need to stay clear."

"I'm going." Carri confessed almost sheepishly, head turned away, looking out the window, but watching Kim's reaction carefully through the reflection.

"You never went to Angel Grove High." Kim pointed out bluntly, gut sinking slightly as she realized her friend was up to something and the unexpected visit hadn't been as spur of the moment as she had suggested. She suspected Jason had a hand in it and if Jason was willing to pull her into an event that he knew her ex-boyfriend was attending…that couldn't be good.

"I'm going with Jase." She admitted, rolling her eyes. " I'm the eye candy." She added, then grinned wickedly and winked for emphasis.

"Good God." Kim muttered in a disgusted tone. "So is this an official date or more of the same?"

Carri shrugged in a movement somewhere in-between nonchalance and morbidity. "No, Just more of the same."

"You two need to figure it out." Kim muttered for the thousandth time, then sighed heavily, voice taking on a more serious tone. "Seriously, either come clean or get it over with and sleep together."

Carri responded by throwing a large, heavy pillow at Kim's head. It missed and she chuckled at herself for hitting a nerve. Since their misadventure into the past nearly two years ago, Carri and Jason had found it more than a little convenient to announce to the world they were dating each other. The truth, however, couldn't have been more different, but to Kim's knowledge, she was the only one who knew that. In truth, they had become very good friends who were both tired of unsolicited advice, blind dates, and relationship assistance offered by well meaning friends and family.

It had started rather innocently enough, with Jason providing Carri as the incarnate version of the mysterious girlfriend he was always flying off to see. He hadn't expected his mom and sister to actually track the now famous Carri down, but fortunately his friend had played along… and rather convincingly too. Mortified, he had rushed into a lengthy explanation of his ruse, but to his surprise, she had thought it was a fabulous idea and asked him to reciprocate by showing up as her "boyfriend" at a family wedding.

From there, things had sort of snowballed. When Carri needed a date to a media or family event, she brought Jason. If Jason needed a date to an event, he'd bring Carri. But although the two had become very fond of each other and Carri admitted she did love him, after a fashion, neither had any inclination of making it an official relationship. Kim was left shaking her head and wondering just how long they'd be able to pull off the rouse before it actually became a reality or the two very strong willed personalities ended up killing each other.

"Well, at least he's a good kisser." Carri leered, which immediately got Kim's attention; her head snapping up and eyes sharp.

"You did not!" she squealed.

"No. Not really." Carri admitted with a snort. Kim made a sour face in response and slouched back down in her chair with a little pout; it was rather disappointing really.

"I mean, just the usual stuff to show outward affection." Carri continued airily, although she knew full well she'd tweaked her friend and gloated a silently to herself. "The problem is, it's kind of like kissing your brother, ya know?"

"Yeah." Kim replied wistfully, still pouting a little, but Carri had picked up something in Kim's voice and pounced on it.

"Yeah?" Carri mimicked, raising herself out of the window seat like a panther ready to leap on an unsuspecting bird. "Kimberly Ann Heart, you kissed him once didn't you." She accused wickedly, eyes lighting up.

In response, Kim grinned and turned away. "Of course not," she answered dismissively, but Carri caught the blush on her cheeks.

"You did so!" she all but screamed in triumph, jumping up from the window seat and swooping down on her. "Oh my God, you did!"

Kim waved her hands in mock defense, warding off the attack. "No!" she insisted. But Carri now had both hands on the desk and was leaning in towards Kim's face.

"You did so." She pressed.

"Ok, ok, once….but we were only thirteen, so it doesn't count."

Carri threw her arms up in victory, "I knew it! I knew you guys had been friends too long for something not to have happened. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because we were _thirteen_," Kim stressed. "It was some stupid spin the bottle thing and we both agreed never to mention it again; especially after I started dating Tommy. If you haven't noticed, the two have a unique tendency to compete with one another without actually crossing the line and becoming true adversaries."

"Tongue or no tongue?" Carri pressed, ignoring the last of the remark. She didn't know Tommy all that well and, although she knew the boys had some sort of long term rivalry going between them, Jason insisted it was friendly, so she dismissed it. Tommy, was simply her cousin's ex-boyfriend, but Jason was one of her best friends and that's where her loyalty stayed.

"Carri!" Kim squeaked indignantly.

"I'm so gonna smack that boy." Carri laughed as she slumped back into the window seat. The two laughed for a few moments before Carri got serious again. "Seriously Kim, you have to go to this thing."

"Give me one good reason why I should." Kim countered.

"Because I won't have anyone to talk to and escape to the bathroom with."

"You'll have Kat."

"Oh God…" She moaned. "Ok, well I won't have anyone to shop with and keep me company in-between functions. I love her, but Kat's too practical. She'll analyze everything I look at and ask me if I really need it or if I already have one."

"That is the lamest excuse I've ever heard." Kim insisted.

"Yeah, but it's true. Come on Kim, you can't leave me to the mercy of my cousin hours on end. If you don't go, she's going to feel the need to keep me company…all day."

At Kim's raised eyebrow, she continued. "Don't get me wrong, we've managed to patch things up after the whole Chris debacle, but she's still never really forgiven me for coming to your defense when the whole Tommy thing deteriorated. If I'm alone with her for hours on end I'm just going to lose my patience and forget myself and offend her all over again. I can't help it, it's who I am." She admitted with a contrite look that made Kim roll her eyes and chuckle. "Look, I can't her boyfriend and she knows it. I think she's wasting her life all in the name of good sex, no matter how disgusting that mental image is to me, and I'm very capable of telling it right to her face."

Carri took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She looked directly at her friend, who was beginning to chuckle a little louder. "You know I will." She insisted. Then because she thought she was losing ground, she said, "You said to give you one good reason. That's one good reason."

Kim shrugged her shoulders up and rubbed her neck, turning away from the window and toward the large fish tank in the opposite corner. Her head hurt. She didn't want to go to this thing. She didn't want to put herself in the path of Kat's censure and she sure as hell didn't want to see Tommy. Word had it he already suspected someone from Earth was behind the Nova Rangers and their quest to find the original power coins. She didn't need him pouncing on her and demanding answers; it was better to simply keep out of his sight. She knew his own powers, after six morphers, were more than developed enough to detect and ferret out her own and he had an uncanny knack of putting pieces together where no one else could. But the Nova's and their quest for the coins wasn't something she could tell Carri. As much as Kim trusted her, that was Elemi's secret now, not her own.

She struggled to find a good excuse that Carri would believe. There really wasn't anyone she wanted to see at the reunion. Well, that wasn't true, she admitted silently. Trini had accepted and so had Zack; even though they'd graduated absentia like she had. She hadn't seen either of them since they'd left for Switzerland and was curious to know what they were doing now. Aisha would also be there with her new man and she hadn't seen Rocky in ages; he was supposedly getting married soon and she didn't even know the girl's name. She had already seen their confirmations on the website. She closed her eyes and slumped her shoulders in defeat.

"All right," she said in a defeated moan, "I'll go, even though I think this is a bad idea." She couched, clicking her acceptance on the website and hitting enter. "Just remember, I warned you."

Carri simply grinned at her. Jase was right, it had worked. She was getting Kim out of the house and out into the real world again. "Fabulous," she said, standing up and stretching. "Now go change your clothes and let me get dressed. We have to update your wardrobe."

"What's wrong with my wardrobe?" Kim asked defensively. After three days of shopping she had more than enough new clothes.

"Nothing," Carri countered, "We just need to make sure we're the two most spectacular women there and absolutely nothing we've bought so far counts as spectacular. That is, unless you're hiding something in your closet I don't know about?"

Kim shook her head no, but didn't answer.

"My point exactly," Carri said, walking past her without a second look. "Now go change and let's go. You're buying lunch." She called over her shoulder.

Kim stretched as she stood up and walked around the desk to feed the two huge goldfish wiggling around in the tank. "Well why not," She asked them as they gobbled up the pellets she offered. "It just might turn out to be fun and what's the worst that could happen?" She paused even as the words left her lips; she'd stopped asking that question years ago. Placing the fish food back on the shelf, she shrugged and left the room.


	2. Chapter 2: Reunions

The Coins

By K. Suzie

Chapter 2: Reunions

* * *

**It's been ten years since the Rangers were all together in Angel Grove.**

**Thank goodness life is nice and quiet, or is it?**

**

* * *

**

(Updated 12-2008. I'm still tweaking & checking for typos, so bear with me) All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri, including Chris Black, belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

All events in The Coins Series take place in an alternate dimension.

* * *

Kim wanted to strangle Carri. The day was supposed to have been a fun day of pampering and preparation for the reception that night. Instead, somehow, someway, Carri had parlayed their day into a reunion special for her television show; _Boutique Style_. Registration was supposed to begin at six thirty and the cocktail reception at seven, but it was now past one in the afternoon and they had yet to actually get to the spa. Kim was hungry, tired, bored, and more than a little pissed. But in a way, she was also kind of impressed.

When the two had been filming their show, _Hidden Adventures_, they had done it with a very small crew. Off road, it just hadn't been practical to try and take along a lot of people and equipment. Carri's new show, by contrast, was a lot different and way more complicated. Her director was a funny little man, shorter than Kim, with huge plastic glasses, who barked and fretted and, in Kim's opinion, was more of a nuisance than anything else. No less than three cameras circled around them, complete with sound crews and there was also a lighting crew, makeup and hair people, a wardrobe advisor, script people, techs, assistants, assistants to assistants; it was chaos.

Not that _Hidden Adventures_ had ever been off the cuff, everything was well planned before they ever arrived, but it had been a lot more spontaneous than this. This show had a script to follow. It had sponsors to please and a magazine to correspond with. Kim had thought the premise of Carri's show was so simple; shop, travel to some place glamorous, shop some more. The reality was that Carri worked very hard.

That day had also seemed like it would be a simple affair. All she had to do was sign on to do a reunion special with Carri and then let the spa and boutiques pamper and dress them for free; well almost free. Working with Carri again had sounded like so much fun and supposedly a great way to get her mind off the butterflies in her stomach, but right now Kim wasn't having much fun.

They were at the Power Ranger memorial in Angel Grove Park and Carri was shooting the intro scene; on take five. Frustrated when the director said he wanted to shoot it again from a different angle, Kim abruptly stood up from her seat on the white Ranger's foot and tried to stretch out her angst. Stretch complete, she turned her focus away from her friend and evaluated the monument. Pretty good likenesses, she thought to herself, scrutinizing the ten-foot stone replicas; except the pink Ranger was too tall. She frowned, both hands folded upside down on top of her head, and glared at it. Not that anyone except a select few would notice the pink Ranger statue looked a lot more like Kat than it did her; the boobs were just way too big.

"It won't be this bad for long." Carri tried to reassure her as she passed by on the way to another scene. "Once we get to the spa, it'll be just you, me and the cameras….and a few sound people."

"Thank the Power for small favors." Kim muttered grumpily, but her friend simply responded by turning around, puckering up her lips, and blowing a kiss. "Have I mentioned lately that I hate you?" Kim growled after her, but Carri only waved absently over her shoulder. In response though, the cameraman assigned to Kim chuckled and she turned around to shift the full weight of her glare on him.

"That's gonna be great for the blooper reel." He commented and, recognizing something familiar about his voice, she looked around the camera to the middle aged man behind it, realizing she knew him from the other show, but not well.

"Carri didn't exactly mention it was going to be like this." She offered in a more friendly tone.

"Little dif from the Andes, eh?" He responded with a wink.

Kim rolled her eyes and worked her jaw; arms crossed in front of her. This was definitely not like the old days. There was no time to be spontaneous, to work the chemistry. It felt odd to be with Carri, out of place. Kim actually found herself feeling uneasy with the camera for the first time in her life. After two full hours of _Look happier! Loosen up!_ The director had assigned Kim her own camera and taken Carri off to get some better footage. Kim, in response, had simply sat down and brooded. Talking to the cameraman though, an idea hit her.

"Bloopers?" she asked with a mischievous gleam in her eye, "You want to hear about bloopers? Did Carri ever talk about the time she hyperventilated half way up Mt Hood?"

"Oh yeah baby, here we go." The cameraman said into his headset, "She's roll'n now boys."

The next thing Kim knew, she was surrounded by a small crew who dutifully followed her through the park. She found her stride and started flirting with the camera they way she used to; keeping the crew in stitches. Every time she got a laugh, she dove into more accounts of disasters, prissiness, and just plain bad behavior on Carri's part, until even she had to admit she was behaving outrageously.

It took Carri about half an hour to figure out what she was up to. By all rights, she should have been furious, but she was thrilled to see Kim get back into the swing of things. The closer she got to the little group, the bigger her smile became. "Oh yeah?" she said, coming up from behind Kim and wrapping her neck in a mock choke hold, "How about the time that guy in Africa kept trying to buy you off the cameraman?"

After several minutes of one-upping each other, they burst out laughing and hugged tightly. Chemistry restored, they spent an extra hour shooting little scenes around town before heading to the spa. Kim watched as the owner gushed over Carri, assuring her that they were not at all late and brushing aside her apologies, then covered her mouth to hide a smile as Carri demurred. In truth Carri felt the man would get more business off that one episode than a year's worth of advertising and didn't feel at all bad about asking him to close his salon for half a day or keeping his employees waiting an extra hour.

* * *

For rest of the afternoon, Kim and Carri were fed, massaged, exfoliated, polished and manicured. They kept up their banter as their nails were polished, hair styled, and eyelashes curled an when they emerged for the final shot dressed to the nines in Ashley Hammond's latest creations, the little director bit his finger and pronounced it would be the best episode in years.

Way behind schedule, they quickly said goodbyes and then jumped in a van waiting to take them back to Jason's condo, where they'd leave for the reception. Still on a high from the previous few hours, the two giggled like school girls for a good ten minutes until the van hit traffic and they sat back in their seats; completely exhausted and still having to face a full night ahead of them.

"Wow," Kim said simply after a few minutes, turning to look at her friend. Carri was dressed in a simple, yet very fashionable, gold pantsuit with a halter-top around her neck. It was backless and the top was cut down to her waist, but a large tortoise shell broach just below the bust held it together and kept it from being more daring than it could have been. Her long dark hair was pulled up fashionably and a pair of chandelier earrings dangled from her ears. Carri had been looking out the window, but turned when her friend spoke.

"What?" she asked.

"You look like you just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine." Kim answered with an admiring look.

"Thank you." She replied with a pleased grin. "You too."

"Do you think it's a bit much though?" Kim asked uncertainly, looking down at her own clothes.

"What?"

"Us." Kim said, gesturing to her own outfit. It had a short white jacket, which made it slightly more conservative than Carri's, but only slightly. She adored the soft, crepe like fabric of her top with its swirling shades of red and pink, but it had been a long time since she had worn something cut that low. "It's a reception, the party's tomorrow."

Carri made a unconcerned gesture with her hand, "It's still a cocktail hour. We're dressed for cocktails."

"At the Ritz maybe," Kim replied, "But Angel Grove High?"

"Everyone was dressed up for the cocktail thing at my reunion three weeks ago." She argued.

"Yeah, but Carri, Jason and I went to public high school, not some fancy prep academy in Manhattan."

"It wasn't in Manhattan," Carri countered testily, crossing her arms. "It was just outside."

"Same diff."

Carri simply sniffed dismissively and looked out the window as the van stopped and started in traffic, trying to keep the fatigue of the day from ruining her mood. Her own reunion had been horrible, she brooded silently to herself and Jason had promised her that his would be much better.

She wasn't sure what she had expected when she had gone back to New York with him a month before, but certainly not what happened. A far cry from the whispers and gossip behind her back that occurred when she'd suddenly picked up and left for _Hidden Adventures_, her old friends had actually embraced her; going on and on about how wonderful her show was and how they all watched and told their girlfriends they knew her. Even her ex's new fiancé said she was a big fan.

In a way, it should have been gratifying to glory in her success, but Carri just hadn't expected them to all be so… well, hollow; there was nothing to them and absolutely no credit in their empty remarks. They hadn't changed at all. Some had married, others were about to be married, some had vowed never to marry, and some were actively looking. They all slept late, lunched with their mothers, shopped all day and clubbed at night. Those who had become mothers had become carbon copies of their own mothers. They talked about nannies and preschools or music and riding lessons. That was the life she had fled in panic, vowing to break out and change, and yet they acted as if she was the same old Carri. They believed she lived the same life they did, she just did it on TV and had become wonderfully famous and successful in the process. It had dawned on her fairly early on that they had accepted her again, not because she had become her own independent person, but because, through her show, she'd proven to them that she hadn't changed at all.

Her poor, supposed boyfriend had endured it all stoically, smiling, nodding, returning useless conversation about mindless topics, but she knew he'd hated every moment of it. They loved him because he was with her and she was one of them; end of story. On the last night, she and Jason had dragged back to the small apartment she kept for layovers and to visit her family, where he had dropped his jacket on the chair with great sarcastic ceremony, then pulled his tie off roughly.

"Jesus." He'd sworn, "And I thought your LA society was fake." He'd muttered, "You owe me for this one Car. Seriously, you owe me."

She had said nothing. She simply walked into her bedroom and shut the door. She had waited until she heard him close the door to his own room before she rolled over on her bed and burst into tears, crying well into the early morning and wondering where her carefully contrived plans for independence had all gone wrong.

"Alright, I take it back." Kim said, misreading the miserable look on her friend's face and bringing her back into the present. "We both look fabulous, I had an awesome time, and you're the best friend in the universe for putting it together."

Carri waved her away, still looking out the window and trying not to sniff. "It's not that." She said, carefully wiping a stray tear, but Kim saw it and leaned over, putting her hand on Carri's arm.

"What is it sweetie?" She asked earnestly.

"Do you think," Carri started, then paused trying to think of the best way to phrase it. "For the first nineteen years of my life, I was a total clone of my friends; completely the little clone I was supposed to be. I was social, doing the pack thing… then I broke out, re-created my life. I told myself for nearly twenty years I was a fake Carri, but then I became a liberated and free woman; defining life on my own terms." She explained, then turned her head away from the window and looked Kim straight in the eyes. "Do you think, maybe, the Carri on _Hidden Adventures_ was actually the fake Carri and I've just been deluding myself into thinking I've changed my life around?"

"Why would you say that?" Kim asked with a frown. Her friend was prone to brooding, but something in her tone was different enough to concern her.

"Because at the reunion in New York, they were all so willing to… I dunno… embrace me. It was like I never left, nothing had changed. They still considered me part of the pack. David actually shook Jason's hand." Carri added, referring to her ex-fiancé. "You should see them Kim. They sleep all morning, shop all day, club all night."

"Okay.." Kim said slowly.

"That's what I do! That's what my show is all about. I travel somewhere, I shop. I go someplace else I spa. I go to the beach, I tan. They pay me to do it."

"Such a hard life," Kim drolled.

"It is a hard life damnit." Carri snapped. "Always traveling, the jet lag, the hotel rooms. God, the hotel food." She moaned, making a face. "Always working to make it new. The sponsors want this, the fans were disappointed about that. What we did in Turtle Cove, just the two of us? That was fun. The show is…it's work. And those women totally identify with the fantasy of it. That's their life, the life I left, and they see no difference between them and me. They think I just live it on TV. It's like I'm not in control of anything, like I never changed, like I don't work at all. I thought I was more independent than that. I thought I was a career woman who had made something of herself, not on daddy's money, but my own hard work."

"When are you up for renewal?" Kim asked softly, surprised by her outburst but keeping her expression neutral.

"September." Carri answered. "They want me to commit to three more seasons. I should be flattered; it's an awesome offer. They're going to pay me a ridiculous amount of money."

"But you don't want to do it?" Kim asked.

Carri shrugged roughly. "I'd be stupid not to. Do you know how many people are waiting in line to be the next me?"

Kim giggled, she couldn't help it. She quickly covered her mouth, but Carri crossed her arms gruffly and turned her face back to the window. "I'm so sorry." Kim apologized. "If you could hear the way that sounds." She added, reaching her hand out, but Carri shrugged it off and didn't turn back around.

"For the first time since I left home, my mom said she was proud of me." Carri sulked. "And I'm so burnt out it isn't even funny. But what else can I do? I mean, it's not like I need the money anymore, but where do I go from here? Everyone keeps insisting this job is perfect for me."

"Do you think maybe you want to quit _because_ your mom approves of it?" Kim asked speculatively, thinking of the turbulent relationship her friend had with her mother. Carri shrugged again, but still didn't look back.

"I don't know why I want to quit. I just feel like I've taken this thing as far as it can go." She murmured. The van was picking up speed now as it broke free of the bottleneck and a silence descended between them as they watched the scenery outside. After a few minutes, she turned around and met Kim's eyes. "I'll be nearly thirty-one when the next contract's complete." She muttered. "Then what the hell will I do?"

Kim took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to think through what she wanted to say versus what her friend needed to hear her to say. She and Carri were nearly a close as sisters, but sometimes, even in a close relationship, you didn't need to say everything that was on your mind. "I don't think you're burnt out at all." She offered softly after a moment.

"You don't?" Carri countered, surprised.

"Nope, I think you're cremated." She replied, fighting the urge to crack a smile.

Carri chuckled softly in response, trying to hide it but not quite succeeding. After a moment, she quieted her friend seriously. "Remember Everest?" she asked frankly, referring to the trip where she and Kim had known their TV run was over.

"Do you think you've reached Everest again?"

"Yeah," Carri said with feeling. "I think I've gone about as far up as I can go. I'm numb and I need oxygen or I'm going to turn blue and choke."

A short silence settled between them and both girls looked out separate windows for a while before Kim added, "I don't think you're anything at all like those girls you grew up with."

"Why? Because I'm so ADD I keep quitting while I'm ahead and still can't figure out what I want to do when I grow up?"

"Nope, I think you know yourself very well. I think you play a good spoiled princess on TV, but when it comes right down to it you're a focused and driven woman who has done a damn good job of making it on her own. You co-produce that show now right?" she asked, and Carri nodded in response. "You know you're capable of more than you're doing right now." Kim continued seriously. "And you understand that the road you're on isn't going to take you where you need or want to go." She paused and clasped Carri's hand in her own. "You're not weak Carri, you're very brave. You're not afraid to recognize what's going on and call a full stop to your life so you can change directions. The Power knew what it was doing when it touched your life." She said, referring to Carri's brief tenure as a yellow Ranger. "You understand it and you understand it's moving you again."

Carri shrugged and shook her head. They had been speaking softly, but she leaned closer to make sure the driver couldn't hear them. "I accidentally fell through a damn time portal." She whispered. "It wasn't like I was handpicked to be a Ranger, it just happened. I was there, Zordon needed a body, so I got tapped."

Kim shook her head. "The Power only chooses the best. It would have been very easy to leave you behind in with Zordon. Instead, you suited up and joined the team. There are no accidents Carri, no coincidences. Zordon knew that deep down inside you, you have the strength and the courage to change the world. It's up to you to recognize that in yourself."

The van had slowed and was turning into Jason's complex. Carri wiped the tears from her face with her palms as it came to a complete stop, but she didn't open the door.

"I've missed you so much." She said as she leaned over and embraced Kim. "You really are the best friend I've ever had."

"Sisters." Kim said, returning the hug.

"Yeah." Carri sniffed. "Sisters."

"If you two lovers are done," Jason Scott said in a gruff sarcastic voice, peaking his head in through the van door. "We're late and it's rush hour traffic."

"Ok, ok, we're coming." Carri demurred, sniffing again as she exited through the door he had opened.

"You ok?" he asked, suddenly concerned and frowning when he saw her face; Carri wasn't a woman prone to tears.

"Yeah." She said, sniffing loudly and nodding. "Kim just convinced me I need to quit my job."

"Great." He answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes dramatically as he helped Kim out of the van. "Good job pinkie."

"Watch it monster breath." She shot back, unrepentant. She could fill him in later and was fairly certain he'd agree with her.

Jason, realizing he was on the losing end of a finished conversation, simply rolled his eyes again. "The car." He said sternly, pointing, and the two girls simply giggled.

* * *

It took another forty-five minutes for them to get from Jason's lake front condo to the school and by the time they parked and entered through the main doors, Kim's heart was pounding. "Smells the same." She commented, wrinkling her nose.

She wasn't sure what it was about schools, but they all had that very peculiar lingering odor of unwashed gym socks and left over cafeteria food. She glanced at Jason to see if he'd noticed, but he merely nodded in acknowledgment of her comment, directed her toward a registration table marked E-H, then steered Carrie to a small line for Q-T. Watching them leave, she felt surprisingly alone and vulnerable. She hadn't even considered bringing a date and now she suddenly realized she was all on her own with no one to hide behind.

"Kimberly Hart!" A woman on the other side of the table exclaimed as she approached. "I'd thought for sure you'd be a no show tonight; better late than never I guess."

Kim stared at the woman, startled. She was dressed to the nines, with big jewelry and even bigger nails, but she had absolutely no idea who she was.

"Oh come on," The woman laughed and Kim wondered if it was a fake laugh or if it always sounded forced. "Cherry…Cherry Pingly." She offered. "Well, Cherry Lewes now." She held out her left hand and waved a huge diamond ring.

Recognition dawned on Kim's face. Cherry must have had massive amounts of surgery in the last ten years. She had a smaller nose, a higher cheeks, and a gigantic chest. Nothing of the woman before her even remotely resembled the girl Kim had known; except the tone of her voice, Kim remembered that now.

"Total weight eleven carats" Cherry nodded, still waving the hand expectantly.

Kim looked obligingly at the large ring and fought the urge to roll her eyes; it was ridiculously big and cumbersome. "It's beautiful." She answered simply, with a polite smile.

She smiled a sticky sweet smile in response and Kimberly was suddenly thrust in the midst of a de ja vu flashback. They had never particularly gotten along, she remembered with that sinking feeling you get when you run into someone you'd rather not see again.

Cherry had been queen bee at Stone Canyon and had reestablished her territory with a vengeance when redistricting had brought her to Angel Grove sophomore year. Kim, who was related to two of the oldest and most established families in Angel Grove, had always been considered popular and it burned Cherry to no end that Kim, who was actually a very busy pink Ranger, could have cared less about befriending her. But that wasn't the only reason the two hadn't gotten along, Kim sullenly remembered. They had also despised one another because Tommy wouldn't look twice at Cherry, no matter how available or willing she made herself; and Kim knew each and every time she'd tried.

"Let's get you registered." She said sweetly. "Here's your nametag, no date tonight?"

Kim shook her head as Cherry handed her a clear plastic nametag with her yearbook photo from junior year. Her comment sounded suspiciously like a dig, but she wasn't entirely sure; that Cherry had always been snide in high school and she had the sneaking suspicious the grown up version was no different,

"Oh well," The she continued as if it didn't matter. "I'm sure you'll find a single or two to converse with; although I think just about everyone else is married by now." She added, then pointed at the nametag. "Don't forget you'll need that both tonight and tomorrow to tour the school or if you're coming to the dance at the Lakeside Grand Hotel. You never got to go to a dance here did you?"

Kim looked up and regarded the other woman darkly; quickly remembering the downside to high school. Cherry belonged to what Tommy had once referred to as the snot pack; ever so popular and ever so stuck up. She smiled tightly, glad for the freedoms of adulthood that allowed her to simply walk away instead of being forced to associate day after day with people you really didn't want to. "Tommy and I went to the Jr. Policeman's Ball." She answered.

"Oh I remember that thing." Cherry gushed as if recalling a particularly funny memory. "I went with Garret Masters. He plays pro ball down in LA now. So what have you been doing with yourself?"

Kim didn't reply right away, looking at the woman in front of her and trying to think of a way to politely cut and run. She paused, neatly pinned the nametag to her hip, then looked back up. "I just started work on my masters."

"Oh really? What subject?"

"Botany." Kim said and Cherry just nodded. "Plants." she explained, although she knew it was a losing cause.

"As in… farming?"

"No, biotechnology." Kim replied, frustrated, but almost enjoying being able to smugly respond that she was something serious with her life and hadn't relied on the fluff of being yesterdays sports darling to carry her through her twenties.

"Huh?" Cherry asked, obviously clueless, and Kim sighed heavily, realizing it was a losing cause.

"I'm studying how to making better flowering house plants." She explained simply, thinking that was an oversimplification, but not really wanting to bother getting into the details.

"Oh that's right, you were in a club for that weren't you?"

Kim nodded lamely. Good God, she wondered to herself, was Cherry going to keep her there all night with polite conversation and not so subtle digs? She looked over her shoulder and found Jason and Carri still waiting in line. The one time in her life the H line was actually shorter than the S, she was stuck with Cherry Pingly…uh, Lewes, she corrected mentally.

"I finished my masters years ago before I got married." Cherry rambled airily. "My Robert's a surgeon."

"Plastic?" Kim asked before she could stop herself.

"Yes! Have you heard of him? He's very well known with the celebrity crowd." She boasted, but Kim simply shook her head politely no.

"Oh, well." Cherry continued. "Plants…I just can't picture you locked away studying house plants. You were always so...bouncy."

Kim just smiled.

"Well, I guess that's what happens to those of us who peak too early."

"It was good to see you again Cherry." Kim said abruptly, gathering her reunion packet and backing away from the table. "Maybe we'll see each other inside."

"Oh I'm sure." Cherry replied. "I'm the head of the reunion social committee, I'm all over everything here."

"Great." Kim said flatly and smiled as brightly and fakely as she could force herself to, then turned and walked to the other table.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize how black Kim's mood had turned. In the ten short steps from H to S, Carri was able to take one look at her face and immediately grow concerned; asking what was wrong before Kim had even fully stepped up to her.

"Nothing." Kim said tightly, between clenched teeth. "It's just that the one girl in high school I happened to hate with a passion just checked me into the reunion. This is going to be a hell of a night Carri." She growled. "I came. I bowed to pressure against my better judgment, but this was a totally bad idea. Can I please go home now?"

Carri regarded her blankly for a few seconds then turned looked back at Kim's registration table to see who'd upset her. She had trouble believing Kim could actually hate anyone and her curiosity was tweaked to know who had gotten her so riled. The object of her gaze was fairly unimpressive; she looked like a walking Barbie doll with poufy hair and too much makeup. "Who? Big boobs?" She asked sardonically, making a face that seemed to ask if her friend was serious.

Kim burst out laughing; she couldn't help it. All eyes in the registration area turned her way and she covered her mouth sheepishly, but the giggles continued despite herself. All the tension of a few minutes before suddenly released and she began to feel better. In an instant, she was once again a grown woman. She wasn't in high school anymore, she realized, and it simply didn't matter. All the high school dramas and tribulations were no longer her problem; she could simply walk away and laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Carri met her eye again mischievously and the two glanced back in unison to where Cherry was dutifully registering someone else in, then giggled conspiratorially as the woman bent over to pick up a registration packet, exposing a rather large, spandex clad backside. Well, she thought sadly to herself, maybe she wasn't all that grown up.

"Great." Jason drolly, looking the two over critically, then handing Carri a nametag. "We haven't even hit the bar yet."

"It's the gym Jase. You think someone will spike the punch?" Kim asked cheekily.

"We're adults," He replied. "Adults get the real stuff."

"And if we don't?" Carri asked, tucking her arm dutifully through his elbow and assuming the posture of the devoted girlfriend.

"Then we move the party off campus." He answered simply, as if the answer were obvious, steering them forward.

As they entered the crowded gymnasium, Jason sighed deeply. He wasn't exactly thrilled about putting himself in the middle of a large throng, but he was here because Tommy and Zack had both bugged the crap out of him to be and, now that he was, he was bound and determined to enjoy himself. Still, crowds tended to send his powers into sensory overload, a few years ago, an event like this would have been impossible. He shook his head ruefully as he surveyed the packed room, the sooner they could round everyone up and move off school grounds, the sooner he'd relax a little and enjoy this thing.

The late arrival of the girls and heavy traffic back to the school had put him in a grouchy mood. Not that being grouchy was all that uncommon for him anymore, he thought sadly. He enjoyed his powers, they came in very handy most of the time, but they had their downside and learning to control them had been the most difficult task of his life. He'd suffered months of vertigo and migraines as his vision constantly shifted from pictures to heat signatures, smells had become unbearably sharp and stomach turning, and the aggression and sharp temper accompanying the strength and muscle growth a cause of deep concern and apprehension. The vision had been the hardest to adapt to. Understanding what he now saw had been like learning a new language; learning how to turn it on and off seemed impossible.

It wasn't like being a Ranger, where you suddenly and instinctively knew how to do something. To his frustration, it fell into place slowly, a micron at a time, and he'd spent hours curled in a ball with his eyes pressed shut against his fists until he could gain control over the images. Managing the aggression had also been a challenge. In desperation, he'd thrown himself into martial arts, honing his focus through the repetition of endless forms and physically beating out his anger out on the practice bags. Slowly, painfully, he'd mastered his powers and begun to develop them. Now they were second nature. He loved who he was; what he was. His power was part of him…no one could take it away.

His gaze drifted over to Kim as the small group passed through the doors and scanned the crowd. She'd had an equally hard time adjusting, but they were through the worst of it now, he assured himself. He knew she'd been up to something recently; he just didn't know what and that rankled him. The two had literally died together in Maligore's pit of eternal fire, they were the same creature, twins of a sort, regenerated at the same time, and made from the same power. He didn't like being shut out.

The rational side of him supposed he had only himself to blame for her distance. He had behaved badly when he found out she was soliciting advice from Rita; he'd been scared though. He knew his own struggles and temptations. The power they'd inherited from Maligore wasn't evil, it was simply power, but humans weren't by design, uncommonly good creatures. The temptation to give into darker urges was a daily struggle; he didn't want her misled by the former evil sorceress. He understood her desperation though and, he had to grudgingly admit, Rita had helped her tremendously.

"A party off campus sounds like a much better idea." Kim muttered. "I think maybe I'll just head back and you can call me when you have a location." She added, then turned abruptly toward a door marked as an exit.

"Too late Cinderella." Carri said, reaching out and turning her around. "The ball has just started and you've got a long way to go before midnight."

"I was afraid of that." Kim muttered despondently.

* * *

The gym hadn't changed much in 10 years. _Seniors Rule_, _Class of 2007_ was painted in bright green and gold across one wall. Painted next to that was a figure Kim assumed was James Bond and another 007 in big, black numbers. The bleachers had been folded up and tables had been set out along the side and it was very, very crowded. She was frankly amazed; she hadn't remembered going to school with this many people.

To her chagrin, it took Carri about a minute to locate her cousin Katherine. Whether her feet suddenly got overly cold or she was just simply not ready to confront the blond woman, Kim didn't know and frankly didn't care. Her feet began to move of their own accord and before she knew it, she'd slipped slowly away and merged into the swarming horde of rowdy adults behaving like kids again. She would leave that particular reunion to Carri for a while, she decided, continuing to make herself as invisible as possible.

All around her, conversations buzzed, people embraced, others shouted and called to each other. She suddenly felt very lost and very much aware that she was alone. It was a strange feeling to be back in the atmosphere of her old high school and not part of a group. In all the years she had spent at Angel Grove High, she'd always been part of the Ranger's pack; now she was solo. She was so intent on her surroundings, she failed to notice when a small hand reached out and silently grabbed her arm. Surprised at being caught off guard, she jumped and spun around coming face to face with a small black haired woman with kind eyes.

"Kim?" The woman asked her.

"Oh my God! Trini!" Kim exclaimed, instantly recognizing her despite the years and hugging her friend tightly. Trini had been her best friend and fellow Ranger in the early days of high school. Although they had stayed in touch, Trini had moved to Switzerland to work on the Junior Peace Council and had stayed in Europe after graduating absentia like Kim had and their contact had been limited over the years to emails and an occasional Christmas card. "I can't believe you're here." She exclaimed.

"Neither can I." Trini said. "I wasn't going to come." She admitted, smiling sheepishly.

"Me neither." Kim confessed. "Can you believe this?" She asked, indicating the busy gym. "I can't believe this is all our class." She began, but they were interrupted as a rather large group of guys bumped and jostled them on their way past to join another group of men who were loudly calling out and raucously trying to encourage their progress.

"Were those the football players or the baseball players?" Kim asked, hand on her hip, simultaneously amused and annoyed. Trini shrugged her shoulders and gave her a commiserative look. "I saw some tables over there, want to sit down?" She added.

Trini nodded quietly and the two worked their way to the other side of the bleachers. Refreshment tables and a small bar had been set up and Kim was amused to note it was non-alcoholic. She took a moment to shoot Jason a mental "I told you so" then gratefully sat down and a small square table in the back.

"You're husband didn't come with you?" She asked as they took their seats.

"No." Trini answered quietly after a slight pause. "He's in Stockholm visiting his family."

"Oh." Kim said simply, wondering at her friend's shift in mood. Trini had always been quiet, but she looked immensely uncomfortable and that wasn't characteristic of the girl she'd know from school. "Well, I can't tell you how glad I am to see you." She continued. "E-mail's just not enough."

"He's divorcing me." Trini said flatly watching Kim closely for her reaction.

"Oh." Kim replied, caught off guard. Trini nodded and looked away. "Are you ok?"

"I guess." Trini offered. "I mean, I only just found out a few hours ago. Well, I suppose it's been a few days since I knew it was coming."

"Oh." Kim answered again, kicking herself for not having something better to say. Divorce was the last thing she'd been expecting from her friend. The most recent news she'd head through the grapevine had Trini exploring the option of having a family. "Is it a good thing?"

"The divorce?" Trini asked and Kim nodded. "I guess so." She answered, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. She paused a little, then asked hesitantly in a worried voice, "Do you think I'm going to be the only divorced one from our group here?"

"Oh no." Kim assured her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Uhm, that is, Billy. Billy's ah, I'm not sure what they called it." She rambled with a wince. "Jason said something about a dissolution of conjoinment or something or another. Actually I'm not entirely sure they were really married, but Billy calls Cestria his ex and he's told everyone he's divorced now."

Trini nodded and the two simply looked at each other for a moment. Kim took a deep breath, wondering briefly if she should say anything more at all, then decided she should. "And me." She added awkwardly.

"You?" Trini asked incredulously, embarrassment and uncomfortableness forgotten. Kim nodded, then broke into a long explanation of how she had met Elemi, a red Ranger and one of the sons of the emperor of Rheiga 4, and how he had tricked her into marrying him. She avoided any mention of Zordon or the coins, but told of how he had chased her across the galaxy, finally tracking her down on Earth. She told of how arrogant and controlling he had been and how he had turned around and become so loving and kind to her. She admitted that she had, at one point begun to return his affections, but, in the end, the marriage had been dissolved and it was for the best that it had.

"Did your family or anyone from Earth ever find out?" Trini asked.

"My mom thinks I had a mishap in Vegas." She admitted. "She told me every girl needs a practice husband and assured me I'd get it right the next time around."

"I like that." Trini responded, eyes twinkling. "Practice husband… I wonder if my mother will buy it." She murmured absently. "She's devastated. No one in our branch of the family has ever been divorced, but at least she's held off from saying she told me so in favor of cold, disapproving looks."

Kim nodded understandingly. She knew that Trini's family had emigrated from Vietnam less than twenty years before. Her mother was strict and old fashioned and hadn't been particularly excited about her only daughter marrying a Swede she'd met on the Peace Council.

"Mind if I join this conversation?" A voice interrupted, and a stunned Kimberly looked up into the face of Billy Cranston, casually approaching their table as if it were merely a Saturday at Ernie's and they all hadn't spent the last decade apart. She was startled a bit, as she had been the last time he'd given her a ride home from Aquitar, by his prematurely aged face and graying blond hair, the result of a combination of one of Zedd's spells and his own invention gone terribly wrong, but his sharp blue eyes were bright and twinkled merrily.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, jumping up to hug him. "I didn't see you're acceptance online." She added, a bit caught off guard and still stunned to see the now famous and brilliant scientist standing before her. The last she knew, he'd come back from Aquitar with her and Carri and immediately locked himself away in his NASADA lab. She hadn't even had an email, let alone a Christmas card, from him in years. Smiling, Trini also made her way around the table and embraced her old friend; equally surprised and pleased to see him.

"I was bullied into it." He responded cryptically in a gruff voice, but at their curious looks, simply waved dismissively. "Tommy needs to see me." He clarified, smiling indulgently. "So, what are we discussing?" He asked, changing the subject abruptly and taking a seat in-between them.

"Divorce." The two said together, also seating themselves.

"Wonderful," He muttered sarcastically, shaking his head a bit. "I know all about that subject. My ex took everything, I came home with an archaic ship, the clothes on my back…and a couple of wayward stowaways." He added, giving Kim a mock annoyed look.

"That's about all I've got right now; the clothes on my back I mean." Trini replied awkwardly and Billy frowned, looking at Kim uncertainly. "It's a long story." She added nervously, but both her friends encouraged her to share and for the next few minutes she told them both of the events of the past few weeks.

She had come home not two weeks before, surprised to find to find her husband with a woman she didn't know waiting for her in the living room. The woman, it turned out, was pregnant, and her husband had basically given her a few minutes to pack before his girlfriend moved in. Since she was an American, and Swiss laws were fairly strict regarding foreigners, the house and all the bank accounts were in her husband's name and, despite her protests, it had been fairly easy for him to simply cut her off and send her packing. Geirge was technically Swedish by birth, but his mother was from Swiss and that connection allowed them both to live there full time in her family's home. Now that he was divorcing her and she didn't have a work permit, she had been forced to leave within a matter of weeks.

It had all happened so fast. She just wasn't sure what her rights were or even what kind of lawyer to seek advice from. Fortunately, she had already purchased her ticket to the reunion, so she had basically come home to her mother a few days before with a suitcase and nothing else. She was grieving heavily with disappointment, and also for the loss of her life, the children she volunteered with, and the belongings she'd been forced to leave behind, and was incredibly embarrassed by the whole situation.

"Bastard." Billy muttered, startling them both with his uncharacteristic gruffness, but Kim nodded in agreement.

"Other than volunteer work, I haven't had a job in five years." Trini said. "Geirge wanted me home; up until last month we were trying to have children. I don't know what I'm going to do. The idea of living the rest of my life with my mother…" She let the sentence die, a pained look on her face.

"Anything I can do to help." Kim said encouragingly. "I've got plenty of room in my house. It's only a few hours from here. And clothes, my God, my friend Carri's idea of house cleaning is to throw everything on the floor into a box and ship it to me. She's a good three inches taller, but when I like something, I just have it altered. I've got tons of clothes that I'll never have the chance to wear and it looks like we might still be about the same size."

"Anything I can do as well." Billy added. "I reside on base at NASADA, but I can think of at least half a dozen employment positions you'd be more than qualified for. In fact, I'm been searching for several months to procure an associate who's qualified to mediate between the NASADA hierarchy and myself. You'd be perfect."

"Billy, why would you hire me?" Trini asked, touched by her friend's offer but more than practical about her lack of a resume. "I have a degree in political science, not the physical sciences, and I've never worked in a lab."

"I need a mediator who can keep the other scientists and chain of command off my back." Billy said dryly. "A degree in astrophysics is the least requirement. Besides, there are very few I'd trust inside my lab unattended." He added, then smiled reassuringly. "You'd be perfect. That is, if you wouldn't mind dealing with me on a daily basis, I seem to have developed a reputation as a curmudgeon."

"I wouldn't mind working with you at all. I just hope I don't disappoint you." She replied earnestly.

"Trust me," Billy said. "If you want, I can have you gainfully employed by the morning."

"All right then. Thank you." Trini said sincerely, buoyed by her friends and eyes brightening for the first time that evening. "I feel so much better now." She admitted.

In all honesty, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Life had seemed so hopeless that afternoon. She hadn't wanted to come back and face her old friends with the embarrassment that had become her life. She knew they had all gone on to find success in life and she didn't want to be the only one to show up with a life that was a total disaster.

But she should have known better. The Rangers had always supported one another and it seemed not even the decade they had spent apart could change that. It was a wonderfully feeling, really. For the first time since she left Europe she actually felt like she might be ok.

"Here's to practice spouses." Kim announced cheekily, raising her can of soda up high where both Trini and Billy clicked it ceremoniously with theirs.

"You ditched me!" Carri growled testily, interrupting them as she came up from behind with Kat and Jason in tow. "I was beginning to think you bolted and took a cab home."

"Jason, hi!" Trini exclaimed, recognizing her friend and edging quickly around the table once again, "Oh my god, I hardly recognized you!" She squealed, hugging him tightly. "You're a tank." She chided, referring to the thick muscles and stocky frame adulthood had settled on him. Kim giggled, feeling very much like a girl again, genuinely enjoying the chaotic reunion of friends as the next few minutes were taken up with introductions.

Carri remembered Billy, but followed his lead and pretended not to, and was then introduced by Jason to Trini. Katherine Hillard nodded politely and cautiously to Kim and Trini, but was obviously thrilled to see the former team's super genius, hugging him as eagerly as Trini had Jason, and then proudly introduced her new fiancé, Chris Black, who congenially shook hands with everyone but still looked hopelessly bored.

As the table filled, and became louder and more obvious, the rest of their old pack located them, bringing not only themselves, but their significant as well. Adam arrived with Tanya, who snagged a seat next to her cousin Aisha and her new boyfriend Grant, and Rocky dutifully also said his hellos, surprised to see both Kim and Billy, then seated his girlfriend, a pretty girl named Marie, next to Kat and struck up a conversation with Aisha's bow across the table.

As the second square table began to overcrowd with chairs, a third table materialized from somewhere and was pushed in-between and the seats rotated and shifted once again. Before long, Kim mused silently that she found herself at the end of a long table with just about every Ranger she had ever worked with as a girl. It was Tommy's arrival with Zack though, that turned her amused revelry back to feelings of uncomfortable uneasiness. They were the last to arrive, informing the males of the group that they had made all the arrangements and everything should be ready in about an hour.

"What's going on?" Kim asked, leaning forward and looking across the table and down a ways to Jason.

She had watched the commotion silently, wondering how she could have found herself going so quickly from a quiet, peaceful little conversation at a tiny square table with two old friends to the anchor of a large, long table full of boisterous conversation. One look at Billy and she could tell he commiserated. They passed back and forth a tolerant look, happy to see their new friends and content with the noise level. Tommy's arrival, however, had changed that. As soon as he approached, she sank lower in her seat, suddenly very much aware she'd put herself directly in his path.

At first, he was so intent on reuniting with the other end of the table that he appeared not to notice her, but her question to Jason seemed to suddenly shift his focus. He turned, head snapping around in a double take as if surprised to hear her voice and equally surprised to see her sitting there in person.

"Hi." He said simply.

"Hey." She said back with a comfortableness she didn't feel. "What are you guys up to?"

"You're look'n good Miss Kim." Zack chimed in as if trying to shift her focus. He sat down across from her and grinned mischievously. "The years haven't touched you."

"Thank you." Kim said, nodding in Carri's direction. "Carri dressed me and forced me here."

"She did a good job." Zack said, glancing over at Jason's girlfriend. He was envious, Carri was a knockout.

"Flirt." Kim said, unimpressed. "You're changing the subject."

Zack leaned closer. "Moving the party off school grounds." He said conspiratorially. "Rangers only, no civilians."

"Ah." She said as if he had enlightened her. She wondered how long it would take them to change the venue. Not that the gym wasn't a good place for the reception. It was just, the gym. Besides, it wasn't like they could talk about old times with the significants listening in.

"We checked into a suite this afternoon over at the Lakeside Grand." Zack continued, indicating Tommy, who was pointedly avoiding sitting down in the only vacant seat left to him; directly next to Billy, who was seated directly next to her. "It's apparently about half a mile from Jason's place."

"That's where the dance thing is tomorrow right?" She asked and he nodded in confirmation.

"We've got real food and real beer on the way. Thought with so many of us in one place again, it might be better to have our own little reunion where we can talk without being overheard." He said.

"Fabulous." Kim said. "I'm starving."

Zack laughed at her, but the truth was she hadn't eaten much of anything the whole day and was feeling more than a little queasy. Her head had started to ache a bit, but she supposed the day had just been too long. Getting out of the noisy gym and getting something to eat sounded wonderful.

"So what's the conversation on this side of the table?" Tommy asked, finally resigning himself to sitting next to Billy. He indicated the females on the other half of the table who were animatedly ooing and ahing over Kat's engagement ring and gave them a tolerant sigh which clearly indicated he was uncomfortable and needed a change of topic.

"Divorce." Trini answered plainly.

"Oh." Tommy responded sullenly, sliding down a little in his seat. "That's uh, interesting." He mumbled, silently wondering why he'd ever thought a ten year reunion was a good idea and kicking himself for driving down from Reefside without a date.

He wasn't sure what he'd expected. He knew Kat was coming and knew she was engaged to the guy she'd left him for, he'd just hoped that meeting up with all his old friends would outweigh the uncomfortable parts. Of course, he hadn't counted on his other ex being present. The last time he'd checked, she hadn't responded and, as they usually avoided attending the same events, he'd just assumed she wasn't coming. Now he was stuck in the middle of the table and couldn't see or hear anything except his ex girlfriend on the right showing off her new ring and his other ex girlfriend on the left who was looking way to good to be at a high school reception. It was going to be a long night.

"So was the marriage annulled or did you actually go through a formal termination?" Billy asked Kim pointedly, one eye surreptitiously glancing in Tommy's direction to gauge his reaction. Jason had gone out of his way to keep that bit of information from circulating around the Rangers and he wondered if their former leader had heard about it or not. He wasn't disappointed, Tommy turned slowly towards his ex girlfriend, giving her a pointedly questioning look which clearly said he hadn't heard and was more than a little surprised; as well as quite possibly more than a little pissed he hadn't known.

"Actually," Kim said, trying to avoid the his stare and that of a few others that had heard, "Not many people even know about it. It's kind of hard to explain to people outside the, well, you know, on the outside."

Billy, nodded, "My apologies." He offered. He hadn't meant to make her uncomfortable, she had brought up the divorce in their conversations with Trini and just assumed she was openly talking about it now. He had, he admitted to himself sheepishly, had meant to offset Tommy a little. " I lead a relatively sheltered existence inside the NASADA compound." He explained, "I still have difficulty remembering we live in a closed society."

"No offense taken." She assured him, then looked cautiously to the other end of the table where the non-Rangers were seated. Assuring herself none of them were listening, she added quietly, "To answer your question, actually, I'm not sure. I just know that the Rheigan government declared it dissolved. We just sort of left it at that."

"They call it a disolvement on Aquitar too." Billy said. "It was difficult to swallow at first, but it was to our mutual benefit."

"You got married?" Tommy asked quietly, not quite able to keep the incredulousness out of his voice. She nodded calmly by way of an answer, obviously enjoying the look on his face; it was precious, she thought to herself. "When?" He asked pointedly in an almost growl.

"Last year." She said, impressed with how casually and dismissively she could say it. It was obvious she'd rocked him and that simply didn't happen very often; it was smugly and immensely enjoyable, she thought sadistically before catching herself.

Tommy sat back in his chair, stunned. He'd been a little busy recently, he admitted to himself, but still, he should have known about that. Someone, somewhere would have mentioned it. Wouldn't they? He wondered, looking across the others assembled and wondering who else had known and kept it from him.

"And you're, uh, divorced now?" Zack asked uncomfortably, shifting a little in his chair. He felt really bad for Tommy. His friend had been preparing himself for days to face Kat and her fiancé, but Kim showing up was an entirely different matter. He didn't exactly know what had gone sour between them the past few years, but an ex was an ex; even if she was a fellow Ranger.

"Almost immediately." She responded, nodding.

"What happened?" Zack asked again, curious despite himself.

"Zack…" Trini chided, frowning at him disapprovingly. She wasn't ready to disclose the details of her own failed marriage to the larger group and she doubted Kim would want to disclose her details either.

"No, it's ok," Kim added, glancing again at the other side of the table. "Nothing happened Zack." She leaned closer to him so the rest of the table couldn't hear. "We were two Rangers, from two very different teams, and from totally different worlds. It was completely doomed from the start."

"You might say, what happens in Vargas stays in Vargas." Billy added, chuckling to himself.

"What?" Kim asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Vargas, the capital city of Rheiga 4. It's a parody. Vargas, Vegas."

"You made a joke?" Kim asked incredulously, trying hard not to smile.

"Is that such a difficult conception?" he asked, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"I'm so proud of you." Trini laughed, clapping her hands like a little girl as much in enjoyment as for the clever way to change the line of conversation. "It's actually funny."

Kim sat back in her seat. "Look at him," she said in mock disgust. "He thinks he's so cute."

"Actually, my lab assistant thinks I'm very cute." Billy retorted, eyes taking on a wicked gleam.

"Oh ho!" Zack chimed in, as grateful as Trini that the topic of conversation had changed. Tommy looked murderous and had gone absolutely silent; that never boded well.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Kim announced, standing up. She looked over at Trini, "You wanna come or do you want to sit here and listen to more from these wise-asses?"

"I'm coming with you." Trini said, correctly assuming Kim was making a careful escape from her ex. As she edged her way out and around the table, she slid her hand along Billy's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Good job." She said. "That conversation was going nowhere but downhill."

Billy smiled, his heart beating a little faster than he knew it should. Trini divorced? He marveled to himself; that was the best news he'd heard since returning to Earth and almost made it worth the arguments with Tommy about attending. Trini had always been nice to him. Despite the social challenges of his youth, she had always understood him, encouraged him. He'd had a massive crush on her when they were younger, but as she had never given him any encouragement that she returned his romantic inclinations, he remained silent. Youthful insecurities had eventually given way to adult confidence, but by then she was gone, as if she'd never been there to begin with.

He was in a good position to help her now, he thought to himself smugly; possibly the best position of his adult life. Despite his young age, he had a very senior position at NASADA and had become very, very wealthy from his inventions over the years. Fortunately, his ex wife had been far more concerned with his inventions on her home planet than any he might have developed for his own. What she didn't know about, he had never bothered to volunteer.

He watched her go wistfully, glad he had decided to attend the reception and genuinely looking forward to the rest of the events. He wanted to help Trini, he decided, if nothing else, because she was an old friend and a former Ranger, but also because possibly, just possibly, the power was sending him a much desired second chance after nearly a decade of disappointments.

* * *

Katherine watched as Kim and Trini stood up and make their way through the gym to the exit. She hesitated for a few seconds, gathering her courage, and then also stood up and excused herself.

"Where are you going?" Aisha asked.

"I'll be right back." She answered, smiling and patting her friend's shoulder. "Save my seat for me will you?"

Aisha nodded, eyebrow slightly raised. She'd seen Kimberly leave and wasn't at all sure it was a good thing Kat was following. She was in a difficult position between those two, she mused ruefully. On the one hand, she and Kimberly had remained good, steady, long distant friends, but on the other, Kat was also her friend. It had been hard to remain neutral the past few years. Aisha's first inclination was to side with Kimberly, but Kat also had very good points that needed defending. Add in that Kat was also still the best of friends with her cousin Tanya and you had a recipe that even the best cooks would have trouble with. She sighed heavily, then turned her attention back to her other friends at the table.

Kat left the gymnasium at an unhurried pace, still gathering up the courage for what she had to say to her ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, but that, as it turned out, was a mistake. The crowd was enormous and, like all big events, the Ladies Room was completely packed. After searching through the two closest ones, she found her at a smaller one located further down the hall past the lockers. She paused, then smiled as Trini greeted her, but the smile faded as Kim ignored her and simply continued to re-apply her lipstick.

"The other girl's room still overflowing?" Trini asked congenially, looking hesitantly at Kim. She hadn't been around for Kim's breakup with Tommy, but like all the Rangers, she knew how her friend felt about his next relationship with the blond Australian. Even so, Kimberly was being outright rude to the other girl, which confused her, but she said nothing.

"Ah… yes." Kat answered hesitantly. "Yes, I can't believe how crowded it is. I was always told no-one ever attended reunions. I don't think half these people even attended the graduation ceremony; funny they should all come to the reunion… but I suppose it's everyone who went to school here as well as all their spouses, isn't it?"

Trini smiled at her instead of responding and she returned the smile, glad for a friendly face. The reunion was only the second time she had met Trini, although the Ranger community was a small one; both felt a bit awkward. The friendship lines were clearly drawn and Trini, having never gotten to know Kat, had simply sided with Kim when the two had declared their cold war on each other.

"Uhm, Kimberly, do you have a sec?" Kat asked, after an uneasy silence had descended upon them. Kim had been focusing intently on her lipstick and trying her best to ignore her. In response to the direct question though, she turned the color down slowly in its well, replaced the cap, and slid the tube into her clutch.

"Sure." She said simply, still not looking at Kat, but examining her hair for flyaway strands.

Trini frowned slightly, pretty certain that was her cue to leave, but uncertain she should; the two had become well known for their screaming matches. "I'll meet you back at the table then." She said uncertainly, and Kim nodded in acknowledgement.

"Want to go sit down on the stairs?" Kat asked, indicating the main stairway by the lockers outside.

"Why not." Kim replied icily, hackles up before the blond even had a chance to start. She really had nothing substantial to still be angry with her about, but neither had spoken in four years and in those four years a lot of ice had crystallized between them. Squaring her shoulders, she turned and followed her out the door.

Once on the stairs though, Kat appeared to lose her nerve and silence blanketed thickly around them. She started the conversation a bit hesitantly, then stopped and worried her fingers nervously. She didn't blame Kimberly for acting a bit cold towards her. In fact, she didn't blame Kim for a lot of things anymore; she just wasn't sure how to say it. Once upon a time, they had been good friends, but that was before she had gotten serious with her ex-boyfriend.

"What I wanted to say," Kat began and stopped again, biting her lip nervously. "That is, I've been wanting to speak with you for a while. We live so far apart now, I just didn't think a letter would suffice. I'm really glad you came tonight."

Kim simply looked at her, expression tightly checked, hands folded on her lap. Well, Kat wondered to herself, what had she thought? The last few occasions the two had gotten together had ended in shouting matches. "Kimberly I'm sorry." Kat said at last. "I've been awful to you for a very long time and you haven't deserved it. I blamed you for Tommy's inability to let go of the past, that had nothing to do with you and it wasn't fair."

Kim took a deep breath and looked away, letting it out slowly. Her first instinct was to reach out and smack the blond woman sitting next to her, but that was uncalled for. If Kat was trying to make amends, she would at least hear her out. In his last days, Zordon had frowned deeply on the grudge that had developed between the two and Kim knew firsthand what could happen when Rangers quarreled against each other. Anger was good for no one; everyone lost.

"Nothing ever happened between us Kat." She said definitively, voice laced with years of frustration. "We broke up when we were seventeen. We were kids when we were together. We talked about it adnauseam after Muirantias and again a few years later. We were two kids in puppy love who grew up into different people, going different directions. Tommy never told me he regretted the fact that we broke up and he never asked me to come back." In fact, Kim thought bitterly, he had flatly refused to take her back when she had tried to retract that stupid Dear John letter she had written him. But that wasn't something she was going to say now. "We never had an affair." She said firmly.

"I know that." Kat answered softly, still worrying her fingers. "But you're wrong about Tommy not regretting you left him. I lived that relationship for over four years Kim. Anytime someone would bring up your name he'd instantly want to know what they had to say. He watched every sports and media event, every TV show; he'd even buy the magazines and save the articles. He's kept every picture of you stashed away. I found the box once and I was so jealous I couldn't stand it."

Kim looked at her hands and worried her fingers together in a gesture similar to Kat's; then stopped as she realized what she was doing. That information she hadn't known about and it made her frown in confusion. It just didn't coincide with what Tommy had told her himself. He'd been very adamant. She had left, it was over. Period.

As she pondered those thoughts, she wondered how much of it was Tommy holding on to the past and how much was Kat' own jealousy. There could be perfectly good reasons for his behavior. For instance, the Tommy she had known was a pack rat, never throwing anything out. And it could just be simple curiosity. Wasn't she guilty of ordering a satellite dish just so she could watch the Reefside news in the evenings? It wasn't that she was pining for Tommy; she just wanted to know what was happening to him and his team of Rangers. Still, having been through several relationships herself, she could understand how his girlfriend would have been upset by his continued interest in her.

Katherine broke her concentration though by reaching out and putting a hand on her arm. "I just wanted you to know that I understand now that I was angry at Tommy. I unfairly directed that anger it at you." She explained, "I wanted that relationship to work so badly. I really loved him Kim. But, after the Rangers… we had so little in common. I wanted to dance and go to recitals and he wanted to go dig up fossils in the dirt. Our whole relationship was based on something that didn't exist anymore."

She paused and swallowed hard before continuing. "The harder we tried to make it work, and we did try, the more we ended up being angry with each other." She added, removing her hand and placing it back in her lap. "I couldn't stand the idea of being angry or disappointed with him, so I lashed out at you. You had done nothing wrong, I was unfair and I'm a big enough person to admit it. Will you forgive me?"

Kim closed her eyes and bit her lip, wondering just how many years of therapy Kat had undergone to come up with that statement. Her headache had progressed steadily over the last few minutes and was now pounding so hard she could barely focus on the conversation. She wanted to go lie down. What was with her? She wondered silently. It was like all her energy was draining away. When she opened her eyes, Kat was still looking earnestly at her and she had to shake herself into responding intelligently.

"Thank you for the apology," she said softly. "Of course I'll forgive you."

"Can we start our friendship over?" Kat asked hopefully, but Kim didn't answer. Instead, she simply smiled at her and nodded. It was going to take more than one conversation to erase all the years of angst, but if Kat was willing to make amends, she'd also give it a try; for Zordon's sake, she told herself.

Unexpectedly, Kat reached out and hugged her, catching her off guard. "I'm so happy." She said, relief heavy in her voice. "I just wasn't sure. I mean, after all these years…"

Kim waved her away. "It's fine Kat. I appreciate the olive branch. So you and Chris are engaged huh?" Kim asked, changing the subject. She wasn't sure what she thought Chris Black was going to be like; Carri pretty much despised the guy and had seriously prejudiced her against him. The only picture she had seen, Chris was sporting dreadlocks and looking really goofy. She had to admit, the cleaned up version escorting Kat to the reception that night was kind of cute… and he was very charming; in a weird sort of way.

Katherine nodded and smiled broadly. "Yes." She answered, holding out her left hand obligingly and showing off her engagement ring.

"It's lovely." Kim commented dutifully, but also silently wondering how long she was going to have to play polite before she could tactfully slip away.

"Yes, I love it. It was his mother's." She answered dreamily.

"She must be happy too then."

"Mmm, yes, she's a wonderful lady. She's been hoping Chris and I would make it official for a long time now."

I'll bet, Kim thought, but she held her tongue. As far as she knew, Kat didn't know Carri confided in her about all her angst against her cousin's boyfriend. Looking around the deserted stairway where she had spent so much time as a youth in-between her classes, she wondered what excuse she could possibly make that Kat would believe.

Kat, in turn, looked down at her ring and smiled wistfully. She loved Chris, even for all his faults. She wasn't entirely sure if Chris had asked his mom for the ring or if his mom had given it to him and insisted he propose, but at least it was official.

Chris had moved in with her a little over three years ago on the presumption that they would soon be getting engaged, but nothing ever happened quickly with Chris; he had his own timetable. After a few years of substitute teaching, she had just been offered a plumb job teaching half day Kindergarten in one of Angel Grove's oldest and most exclusive K-8 academies. It didn't pay much, but the hours were easy and she managed to rent out the small school auditorium after school to teach dance lessons; which did pay well.

She adored her students and the parents loved her. Mothers now vied to get their children into her classes and her waiting list was outrageously long. After school dancing had increased from three classes a week to twelve and she had just added on two etiquette classes for the older girls. She wasn't making a fortune, but she was doing very well for herself. She swallowed hard, understanding that taking on Chris meant she was going to have to do well for herself.

He was a good man, she reminded herself firmly, he was the kind that would always be there for her. He'd never run off at a moment's notice to go who knew where for who knew how long or keep secrets from her. He was just a little too willing to let her and his parents take care of him. It was easier to ask his mother to give him the money for his half of the bills than go out and work at a job he hated. After a while, she hadn't even tried to ask him to take responsibility for his share. She'd pay the bills on time, write up a statement, and mail it to his mother. A check would simply come back to her within a few days.

"I'm happy for you." Kim said, breaking the silence.

Katherine looked up at her old friend. "Me too." She answered softly.

"There you guys are." Carri interrupted, walking up and sitting down on the stairs near her cousin. "I was getting a bit worried when you two disappeared."

Worried was an understatement. She had watched Kim leave with Trini as well as her cousin's departure after them with a sinking feeling. When Trini returned a few minutes later, she'd all but panicked and one look at Jason told her he was thinking the same thing. She'd excused herself politely enough, then bolted for the door, expecting a world war gearing up in the Ladies room.

"Nah." Kim said dismissively, immensely grateful for the interruption. "We were just talking about boys."

"Ah," Carri answered as if that explained everything, "And just what about boys were we discussing? Come on girls, dish it up."

She was hugely relieved not to have to break up a fight and openly take sides again. It had been hard to side with Kimberly against her own family, but she'd actually been there for the worst of the blow ups and could honestly say Kat had been in the wrong; at least that time. Finding them conversing easily together as if there had never been a rift was odd, but she was immeasurably grateful for it.

"What was that about boys?" Jason asked, walking up to the stairs followed closely by Tommy. Carri suppressed a grind, apparently she wasn't the only one anticipating a fight that needed to be broken up.

"Boys?" Kat offered innocently, "We weren't talking about boys."

"Then what were you talking about?" Tommy asked, coming close enough to his two ex-girlfriends to lean casually against the rail, but still maintain a safe distance.

"Toys." Kim responded bluntly. "Are you guys sure you want in on this conversation? It might get a little intimidating for you." She quipped. Just then, though, a white light exploded inside her head, causing her gasp with the unexpected pain assaulting her. She clutched the side of her head protectively, body swaying on the step.

"What is it?" Katherine asked, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing." Kim said a bit too breathlessly. The actual pain had only lasted a second and the light was dimming, but the experience had left her shaken. She felt weak, like a truck had slammed into her.

"It's nothing." She insisted, sitting up shakily and resting her head on the wall.

"It's not nothing." Jason insisted, pushing in-between Kim and Katherine. He sat down next to Kim and put an arm around her protectively; eyes glowing red for an almost unperceivable second.

Tommy frowned, taken aback by the sight of it, then realized his friend was adjusting his vision. He'd heard of Jason's abilities, but it was a bit eerie to see them in practice. He watched with a concerned look he couldn't hide as Jason's fingers traced the side of her head; frowning as perspiration beaded on her forehead despite the air conditioning and at the way she breathed heavily in and out. He continued to watch as Kim lifted her hand, clasping Jason's fingers as a small energy passed between them. He wondered at it, but said nothing, knowing he'd have his chance to ask later on.

In actuality, it was merely a trick they had learned for bucking each other up since Muirantias. Their powers were born of the same energy and the exchange was a much a gesture of comfort and support as it was a transfer of actual energy, easily shared from one to the other, which they gave and took without asking anymore.

Slowly, Kim's eyes came into focus again and she grimaced as she realized Tommy, Kat, and Carri were staring.

"What happened?" Jason pressed.

"A flux in the continuum." She said. "It caught me totally off guard, I wasn't expecting it; not here on Earth anyway. Someone opened a portal to our sector, a big one. It was as if the whole morphin grid just got knocked on its axis."

"What does that mean?" Tommy asked, a familiar knot forming in his stomach. It surprised him a bit that he didn't question how she knew what was happening on one of Earth's many grids, but the look on Jason's face indicated that he was taking her seriously and perhaps that carried more weight with him. At any rate, he and the former red and gold Ranger had a lot of discussing to do when he could get him alone.

"I don't know." Kim admitted, still a bit bleary and not fully recovered. "It's like someone tried to blind me to keep me from seeing who they were or noticing what they were doing, but whatever it was is definitely effecting the balance of the continuum in our system."

"How can you tell?" Kat asked, frowning, but at Kim's hesitation, a realization dawned on her. "Oh my God, you're still a…" She stopped herself abruptly, handing clamping down over her lips.

Carri was sitting just a few inches away on lower step and she was suddenly very unsure what to say. Kim had just spoken of portals and morphin girds right in front of her cousin. Did she know? She wondered frantically to herself. She was Jason's girlfriend, they had been together a long time, had he told her about the Rangers? If that was the case, then she wondered why her cousin had never confided in her that she knew.

She looked hesitantly at Tommy and the look on his face said he was wondering the same thing. She looked down at her cousin, who was busying herself with an imaginary speck of dust on her knee, then looked back at Kim, who looked away from her and said nothing.

"Come on Kim," Jason said, breaking the uneasy silence that had descended upon them. "Let's get you home." He added, pulling her up to a standing position.

"I'm fine." She insisted, embarrassed and perturbed by his hovering. "It's over and gone. I can't feel anything now except the hunger pains in my stomach. I let myself get too hungry, it's over heightened my sensitivity… are we going to Tommy's for some real food or do I need to seriously attack the cookie table?"

"I think we should go home and get changed first." Carri offered quietly. Kim didn't look so good and that usually meant life was about to change for the worse really fast. If she was going to get sucked through another portal or get pulled into a fight, she wanted to be wearing real clothes; not Prada heels.

Kat turned and stared pointedly at her cousin, making her feel more than a little uncomfortable and guilty. She had never told her cousin of her experience as a Ranger or that she had retained her Ninjetti powers after. It wasn't entirely intentional on her part. Things had been weird between them at the time and afterward it just didn't seem like she should. She broke eye contact and gave Jason a questioning look. He nodded, obviously thinking along the same line.

"You're still shaking, we'll go home first." He agreed giving Kim a look that meant no arguments.

"Need any help?" Tommy offered casually, still leaning nonchalantly against the rail as if he had nothing better to do.

"Believe me bro, you'll be the first one I call if we do." He put an arm around Kim, and helped her down the last few stairs. As she went, she pointedly avoided looking at either Tommy or Kat although both tried briefly to catch her eye.

Damn, she chastised herself mentally. She had really messed things up again; she should have never agreed to attend the reunion. Was she ever going to be able to control her powers? She wondered. The headache should have been the first clue that something wasn't right on the grid and she'd completely ignored it because she was at home and assumed trouble wouldn't follow her there.

Carri stood, then leaned down and kissed her cousin on the cheek. "I'll catch you later." She said casually, but Kat reached up and grabbed her arm, causing her to smile apologetically. "I'm sorry." She said lamely. "I couldn't tell you Kat."

It wasn't exactly the truth, but pretty close to it. She had simply _felt_ like she couldn't tell her cousin. She jerked her right arm in a fast counter clockwise motion. On her wrist appeared a thin silver band, which encased a gold Ninjetti power coin. Katherine stared at it for a second, eyes widening with recognition, and then nodded. Carri jerked her arm back clockwise and the band and coin disappeared.

"We'll talk later ok?" She added. Squeezing her cousin's shoulder, she brushed past Tommy and headed down the hall to catch up with Kim and Jason.

"Good Lord." Kat groaned morbidly to Tommy as the trio disappeared through the exit doors. "Did you know?"

Tommy gave her a wry look, then shook his head. "Well," he admitted "I knew Jason had experienced side effects from that Muirantias adventure with Divatox…and I kind of figured if he had them, then Kim must have had a few too. I guess I've just been so busy the last few years I haven't paid as close attention as I should. It makes sense they'd both gravitate back to the Rangers though."

"And my cousin?" Kat asked, more than a little bitter to have been kept in the dark.

Tommy shrugged, but didn't answer.

"I guess we should go back in and join the others." Kat replied and Tommy nodded, allowing her to walk ahead of him into the gym.

"Are you coming over tonight?" He asked her, referring to the get together he and Zack had put together. It was technically open to all Rangers, but he was kind of hoping both his ex girlfriends would have other plans. Then again, if something was up with Kim and Jason, he kinda wanted to know what it was.

"I wasn't going to, it might be hard to explain to Chris why I'm going out again by myself, especially with you there. Maybe I'll just ask him if he'd mind me going along with Aisha and Tanya. He's bored. He might not want to go out with you guys again, no offense."

"None taken." Tommy said. He wasn't all that impressed with Chris. Even if he removed himself from the fact he was Kat's ex-boyfriend, and the fact that she had dumped him for him, Chris was just not someone he'd hang out with or offer a beer to. He wondered briefly what Katherine saw in him, then decided not to let his thoughts take that route.

It was nearly ten that evening when Jason, Carri, and Kim joined the others at the suite Tommy had checked into at the Lakeside Grand. The conversation was in full swing when Tommy opened the door and it came to a sudden and abrupt halt when they walked in; all eyes on Carri and making her feel very conspicuous.

"Carri's one of us." Kim said nonchalantly jerking up her thumb at her friend. The conversation paused for a few more seconds while Jason nodded confirmation and then resumed as if it had never ceased.

"Okay," Carri drolled slowly, "No pressure. Maybe I should just go back to the condo."

"Excuse me?" Kim asked, turning to face her friend. "Didn't we just have this conversation earlier?

"Very funny." Carri shot back making a face.

"Where's the food?" Kim asked, turning abruptly to Tommy. He pointed to a small dining table pushed off to one side with open containers reading _Bulkmier's_.

"Fabulous," she said, putting one hand flat on his chest and pushing him out of her way. "I'm starving."

He frowned and gave her an amused look, then turned at Jason questioningly. "Everything ok?" He asked. "I would have expected that from Rocky, not Kim."

Jason shrugged, looking more indulgent than concerned. "Whatever opened that portal didn't want to be found." He said simply. "Kim burned a lot of energy searching…didn't find anything to speak of though. She tends to get overly hungry when she uses her powers; I do too actually."

"You think it's still here?"

"My luck is never that good." Jason answered gruffly. "It'd be too good to be true if this was just was just a blip or a short visit."

"You know who it is?" Tommy asked expectantly, mentally going through a list of known possibilities.

"I'll be honest with you bro, we're not positive, but there just aren't that many that can jostle the grid like that and then hide from Kim, she's good at what she does."

"And that would be?" Tommy pressed, using his best expectant teacher look.

"Ah the six million dollar question." Jason responded, unphased. "For that my friend, you need to offer me a beer."

"Right over there." Tommy answered indulgently, steering Jason toward a side table.

"Car, you want one?" Jason asked over his shoulder as he allowed himself to be led away. She nodded and started to follow, but Katherine and Aisha ambushed her.

"So sit down," Aisha urged congenially, smiling and gesturing to the long sofa against the wall, "Tell us all about it."

"About what?" Carri asked, taking a seat in the center next to her cousin. She looked a little hesitantly around the group of people surrounding her. Most, like Adam and her cousin, she knew, but the others she really didn't and that made her more than a little uncomfortable.

Aisha had sat down next to her on the other side of the couch and she felt completely cornered. As her eyes glanced around nervously, they settled on a guy introduced to her earlier as Rocky, who was sitting in a large overstuffed, chair opposite them, finishing off the remnants of a sandwich from the table. She'd heard about him from Adam, but they'd never met before tonight. Not wanting to appear rude or as if she was staring at him, she then shifted her gaze to Adam and Tanya, who shared a seat on the footstool. Tanya she knew a little, but not well. She and Adam would visit on the rare occasion all three were in New York at the same time. She knew she was actually quite a famous singer, but she hadn't heard much of her music. Shifting her eyes once again beyond the sliding glass doors, out on the balcony, Carri could see Billy, Zack, and Trini talking quietly, engrossed in their own conversation. She then looked back over at Jason, who had his head together with Tommy and then to Kim, who was nearly attacking a chicken sandwich at the other end of the table; realizing she was completely on her own.

"It's alright honey." Tanya encouraged. "We're all family here."

Adam nodded. "I have to say, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I am." He admitted sheepishly.

Carri smiled at him and rubbed her palms against her jeans. She and Kim had changed at Jason's condo. No matter how hard she tried, Kim couldn't find any trace of the disturbance that had rocked her earlier, but the three agreed to stay prepared. "Uhm, I'm not sure what to say."

"So what kind of Ranger are you?" Aisha asked in a friendly tone.

"Yellow." Carri said uncomfortably and that drew a round of soft laughter from the group.

"We kind of guessed that already." Aisha said.

"How?"

"Your tank top." Katherine chimed in. "Some things never change."

"Oh." Carri said, absently pulling the yellow cotton fabric.

"She means what team." Rocky offered, shifting uncomfortably as she turned her attention to him.

"What team?" Carri asked numbly, looking up and meeting his eyes, noticing for the first time they were really quite nice; she had a thing about eyes. She stopped herself mid thought, remembering he had a girlfriend and she was supposedly serious with Jason.

"Carri's a Ninjetti." Kim answered for her, joining them from across the room and plopping unceremoniously on the floor by Aisha. "The team was based out of Phaedos, it became defunct after we sacrificed the zords. We turned in our morphers and came home; end of story."

"Dulcea?" Rocky asked, surprised, and Kim nodded, her mouth full of sandwich.

"So you have an animal spirit guide?" Adam asked curiously. The others groaned, but Carri smiled at him, comfortable at least with that topic.

"Panther." She said, nodding and feeling a bit more confident now that Kim was close by.

"Aw man." Adam groaned and, to Carri's confusion, the others laughed.

"He's the frog." Aisha offered by way of explanation. "He's got a bit of a complex."

"Cirno's was the cockroach." Carri offered helpfully. She wasn't sure why she'd said it. Perhaps it was the look of disappointment on her friend's face.

"A roach?" several people asked at once, obviously all surprised.

"It's actually a very powerful and ancient little beast." Kim offered in defense of a teammate who couldn't be present. "Nearly invincible in fact, not to mention a cool looking zord."

"I'm not sure I feel so bad anymore." Adam offered, meeting Carri's eyes and grinning despite himself.

"It actually suited him." Carri admitted and Kim choked on a bit of her sandwich. Their eyes met and she could see Kim silently agreed with her.

"I'd like to meet him someday." Adam said, but Kim shook her head firmly no.

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"Why not," Kat asked. "Ranger code keep you from revealing identities even to retirees?"

Carri cringed. It didn't take a rocket scientist to understand she was a bit put out her cousin hadn't confided in her. She understood her feelings and resolved to talk it out privately with her later on.

Kim shook her head, swallowing the last of the sandwich. "He's dead." She said simply.

Carri gulped hard, her stomach sinking. It was true, she realized. After six thousand years, both her other teammates were long gone. It was just odd to think about it that way.

"I'm sorry." Kat said, grabbing her cousin's hand. An uncomfortable silence followed before she added. "Well, that certainly explains why you dropped everything and ran off with Kim on that TV show."

Carri readjusted her seat, but remained silent. Kat still didn't know that the show had been long over by the time the whole Ranger thing happened. She gave Adam an annoyed look and he grinned at her.

"I mean," Kat continued, "It was just so completely out of character for you. What you're doing now is so much more the Carri we all know."

Carri removed her hand from her cousin's, the other fisted tightly by her side. For a brief second, there was a look of pure murder in her eyes. She willed her fist open and forced herself to relax. Kat loved her, they had been very close once. Her comment was not meant to be mean, it was the opinion of a family member who had known her well as a child. It was from someone, Carri realized, who simply didn't know her anymore. If it had touched a raw nerve, that wasn't her cousin's fault.

Kim had seen the look on Carri's face, as had Rocky, but Katherine hadn't. She was smiling brightly at her cousin. "I'm so happy we don't have that secret between us anymore," she said, genuine warmth in her voice. "I have so much I want I want to share with you that I haven't been able to tell anyone in our family."

Carri returned Kat's smile, but then turned and shot Kim a brief, overly annoyed look. From the other side of the room, Rocky had been able to observe both and briefly wondered about it. The two cousins looked obviously related, but they also looked very different from one another. Where Katherine had naturally light blond hair and blue eyes, Carri's were both dark brown. The way they held themselves was different too. Where Kat was elegant and sweet, Carri seemed to border on audacious. She had a saucy confidence about her, even when she was uncomfortable in her surroundings, that was striking. Jason's girlfriend was, quite simply, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. He'd had to force himself not to stare at her at the reception earlier and he certainly hadn't been expecting to see her again in Tommy's suite. He had had seen his girlfriend Marie home to her apartment, kissed her with a promise to see her tomorrow, and looked forward to a casual evening with old friends.

Life for the past ten years had been pretty good to Rocky and he honestly felt he really couldn't complain about anything. He had worked hard, building up his business and as for his personal life, he was content with Marie. Always a very pretty girl, they had known each other since childhood, but she was five years younger than he was and he hadn't paid much attention to her until recently. His mother had set them up when she returned home from college two years ago and they had been together ever since.

For Marie, Rocky was a good, honest, hard working man who made a good stable living at his karate schools. For Rocky, Marie was everything his mother wanted for him. She was a good girl, from a good family, and she'd make a good wife and a good mother. He knew both families expected him to make things permanent fairly soon and Marie had mentioned more than once on the way home how pretty Katherine's ring was and how happy she looked, but for his part, Rocky was just uneasy about it. He honestly did love her, but there was just something missing.

He had to admit, he was more than a little envious of Jason. His friend had scored himself a smart, beautiful, successful woman who could share every aspect of his life; even the Rangers. Not that he was really part of the Rangers anymore, but it would be nice to have someone to share that experience with.

When he'd turned in his morpher senior year, he'd actually been more than thankful for the break. He was the oldest of his mom's kids and felt a huge responsibility to take over what his dad had left behind when he walked out. Those demands had all but consumed his life since graduation from high school. But looking at Carri now, he felt the first rumblings of being sorry he left.

"What I want to know," Tommy said, joining the group from across the room, "Is if that shirt of yours is pink… or red." He'd pulled a chair over and now straddled it, arms folded across the back, looking directly at Kim. As she looked up in return, she realized with a sinking feeling in her gut that he was grinning from ear to ear; like a smug alley cat with feathers floating about his head. Steeling herself, she wondered just how much Jason had confided in him. All eyes in the room had turned on her as one, but she ignored them, regarding him casually for a moment while trying to decide what to say.

"I'm not a morphing Ranger at the moment, if that's where you're going." She answered casually, holding his eyes. "So if you're trying to draw a correlation, I guess it's not either."

Tommy grinned again, completely undeterred, "That's not exactly what I heard." He responded almost triumphantly, "I heard you three still have your Ninjetti powers."

Kim turned her eyes calmly to Jason, as if evaluating what else he might have already disclosed. To the best of her knowledge, he knew very little of her involvement with the Nova Rangers, other than she was once married to Elemi. Jason, for his part, simply pulled up a chair next to Katherine, handed a beer over to Carri, and took a swig from his own bottle.

Kim turned her head back to Tommy and regarded him almost challengingly. "What, the legendary Tommy Oliver can't distinguish colors?"

"I'm not sure I can even tell the difference in this light." Adam offered, squinting.

"Pink is only one shade removed from red anyway." Kim answered, waving her hand dismissively.

"Oh hold on a second," Jason broke in, "Those are fight'n words." He growled in mock challenge.

"Never, underestimate the power of pink baby." Kim bantered back and smiled seductively.

"Oh please...not that line again." He answered, rolling his eyes and taking another swig of beer.

"So what is it?" Rocky asked, genuinely curious. "You wearing red now?"

"I was born a pink Ranger," she said, looking at Jason, "And I will die a pink Ranger." She concluded, looking over at Rocky. Then her eyes met Tommy's, "Whatever other colors may happen in-between."

Outside the sliding glass doors of the suite, the full moon shone brightly and innocently in the distance. On the other side of that glowing orb, however, a dark and massive shape lurked.

"You brought us too close." Rexo hissed. "She knows we're here. We should retreat immediately before she can call the Rangers."

"Not until I have the staff." A soft, feline voice purred. "I'm but moments away from securing it. Go and supervise the viratrons… Do not return empty handed."

"We should return to our mission."

"First thing first." Teeg purred, sliding one long black nail languidly across the viewing globe. Once that staff is in my possession, precious Kimberly will have her little hands far too full defending her pathetic little world to be of any further assistance to the Nova Rangers. Then, and only then, will we resume the mission."

Top of Form


	3. Chapter 3: Everything Old is New Again

**The Coins**

**Chapter 3: Everything Old Is New Again**

* * *

Old villains, new villains, coins lost and coins found. As the Rangers are about to discover, everything old is new again…

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

**_The Coins takes place in an Alternate Universe_**

* * *

"Will you put that damn thing away?" Jason growled. Kim looked up over the top of the pink compact and then dropped her eyes back down. To the casual observer, it looked as if she was simply staring at herself in the mirror. But on closer inspection, the mirror wasn't reflecting anything at all, it was softly glowing in the dim light. Where the powder should be was a soft shell-like surface and Kim softly ran her finger over it. As her finger moved, the muted colors in the mirror swirled and clouds alternately formed dissipated. 

"Someone is going to notice that thing."

"I think it's ingenious." Carri commented.

"You would." Jason complained.

Kim snapped the lid shut and slipped the compact back in her purse. "I just don't get it." She said. "I know she's here. She knows I know she's here. What's she waiting for? Why leave off attacking the Nova Rangers and come all the way to this system just to sit and do nothing?"

"You sure it's Teeg?" Jason asked. He was hoping Kim would be wrong. Teeg was the one witch in the universe he'd rather have off bothering someone else. He'd only encountered her once, when he'd been in the Rheigan system trying to help Kim get away from her then husband. Once was more than enough. Better Teeg stayed focused on the Nova Rangers than develop an interest on Earth.

"I'm sure. I just don't know why she'd follow me here. She thinks Earth's a fourth class, non-entity, world."

"It is?" Carri asked.

"It's getting better." Jason said, noncommittally.

They were sitting at the end of a large table at the Lakeside Grand Hotel. The second night of the Angel Grove reunion was looking far more promising than the first. The ballroom of the grand was elegantly decorated. The entire wall beyond the dance floor sported floor to ceiling windows, from which they could see a spectacular view of the lake beyond. Off to one side a DJ blasted out tunes from the nineties and there was even an open bar. At the other end of the table were their friends from high school. Most were former Rangers, like themselves, but also present were Katherine's fiancé Chris, Aisha's boyfriend Grant, and Rocky's girlfriend Marie.

Carri drew her eyes away from Rocky again. He was such a nice guy. They had spent most of the last evening talking together. He had told her all about his Karate school and how he was helping to support his mom and putting his younger brothers and sisters through college. Why couldn't she find a guy like that? All the good ones seemed to be snatched up already. Carri shook herself mentally, reminding herself that she was most likely doubly attracted to the fact that he was obviously taken. Marie had already made more than one comment to Katherine to suggest that they'd soon be making a commitment like she was.

Carri's love life was practically non-existent. But that's exactly the way she'd orchestrated it. David had been a domineering boyfriend. From the age of fifteen, he'd told her who her friends were, how to dress, where to go, and what to say when she got there. She wouldn't go so far as to say he was ever really physically violent, but she'd had more than a few pressure bruises on her arms when he'd lost his temper and grabbed her for "emphasis." Since leaving him she'd had a few boyfriends, but with her travel schedule, nothing ever turned out to be serious for very long. Besides, she demanded a relationship on her terms and most guys just weren't into that. But again, that suited Carri just fine.

Her relationship with Jason was the closest she'd ever been to guy emotionally. She frowned, remembering Kim's comment to come clean or sleep with him. The more she thought on it, the less she was inclined to venture into a physical relationship with Jason. She knew he hadn't been celibate the past few years. She'd even run into a few of his friends, one of which had been more than happy to tell her what her so-called boyfriend was up to. To his credit, Jason had immediately broken things off with the tramp, but the whole debacle had made Carri more aware than ever that they didn't exactly have a normal relationship.

They were both hiding. Jason from the fact that he was back in the Rangers and couldn't confide in or share his life with someone on the outside and she from the fact that she just didn't trust her judgment where men were concerned. Her one flaw was that she was the most attracted to men who were either dominant like David, or totally unavailable to her. In a weird sort of way, she considered them safe, even though she had to admit that most weren't. It was easiest just to run as fast as she could from them.

"What are you thinking so intently about?" Jason asked.

"Just wondering if we should keep this thing together or break up." She said softly.

"Another man caught your eye?" he teased. He'd seen her with Rocky last night. The two seemed to have chemistry, but as far as he knew, Rocky was definitely taken and Carri steered far away from committed men. He put his arm around her and leaned down to kiss her temple. She leaned into him, easy with the contact.

"I do love you sweetheart." He whispered close to her ear, "I just don't love you that way."

"I know." Carri responded wistfully, resting her head on his shoulder. "Half of me wishes you did and the other half is relieved you don't."

Jason turned in his chair and regarded her intently for a moment. To the casual observer, it was a very romantic pose. Her head was on his shoulder and his face was only a few inches from hers. Yet neither of them felt anything more than friendship. It was a comfortable closeness born of knowing each other well.

"You want to give it a try?" he asked softly.

"No." she said softly. "As sad as it is to say it out loud, I love you dearly my friend, but we'd kill each other if we actually had to spend any amount of time in the same room, let alone the same bed."

Jason chuckled softly, leaning back and gently guiding her off his shoulder and back to her own chair. "I think you're right." Was all he said.

"Dance with me?" Carri asked indicating the dance floor with a tilt of her head.

Jason nodded and stood up, offering her his hand. She took it and the two headed off to the dance floor.

"Things seem to be working out well for Jason and Carri." Tommy observed. Kim met his eyes, but said nothing, breaking the contact to find the two people in question out on the busy dance floor.

"That's an odd look."

Kim shrugged, grinning slightly at Jason's efforts to keep up with Carri as she twisted around.

Tommy watched her intently for a moment. She was as much a mystery to him now as she had been nearly thirteen years ago when they'd first met. He just couldn't predict her. It had been exciting to him then. Kim was always game to try something new. Her exuberance was a stark contrast to the conservative nature of her successor, but it was better not to let his thoughts drift in that direction.

Jason had filled him in on their adventure into the past and Kim's marriage and subsequent divorce. Jason agreed it was very likely that Kim was the one helping the Nova Rangers. The Nova's were headed up by her ex-husband and despite the fact that he'd tricked her into marriage, Kim insisted on his worth as a red Ranger. Jason didn't know why they were after the power coins. He insisted that Kim had been all but shut in her house for the last year, but then again, she'd pushed him away recently and he admitted she didn't confide much in him anymore. When Tommy had asked why, Jason had just shrugged and suggested they re-join the group.

Kim had spent the remainder of the last evening animatedly talking with Aiesha about her new boyfriend. Try as he might, he couldn't catch her alone or direct the conversation back to where he wanted it to go. Why she wouldn't admit to being a red Ninjetti, he didn't know. His attempts to pry it out of her had been unsuccessful and tonight she had shown up dressed head to toe in basic black. When he'd tweaked her about it, her chin had come up in a pose he'd remembered very well from their years as a couple. Her eyes had twinkled, but there was obvious defiance in them.

"Want to dance?" he asked.

"With you?" She asked, startled and more than a little surprised.

"No, with Lord Zedd." He answered facetiously.

"Actually," she said, considering the matter, "He's a very good dancer."

"So am I."

"Since when?"

"Since I dated a dance instructor a few years ago." He said, rising up from the table and holding out her hand.

"Na uh." She said glancing from his eyes to his hand and back again. "You did not."

"I'll prove it to you, come on."

Kim's eyes twinkled mischievously. She put her hand in her ex-boyfriend's and allowed herself to be led out onto the dance floor, aware that more than a few pairs of eyes watched them leave the table. Rocky turned with the others and watched them go, but his eyes scanned the floor until they found a certain brunette dancing with her boyfriend.

He'd seen her interaction with Jason at the table, seen her slide comfortably into his arm, watched her eyes light up by whatever he'd whispered in her ear. Seen him kiss her temple. He turned around and reminded himself firmly that he was in a committed relationship with Marie. Yet talking to Carri last night had been so easy. He'd made a complete goofball of himself, but she had seemed so interested in how he'd chosen not to go to grad school but devote all his energy to building up his karate school. She openly admired that he still helped his mother financially with his little brothers and sisters and commented how wonderful it was that he'd taken over when his father abandoned them.

He practically glowed with her praise. She'd listened intently as he talked about his adventures with the Rangers and nodded commiseratively when he'd talked of his mother's desire to see him settled. She shared her own breakup with her former high school boyfriend, her need to run her own life, and her own mother's tirades that her only daughter would never get married. He'd laughed with her when she admitted her mortification that her mother had already bought her a wedding dress, and thought ruefully that his own girlfriend and her mother had probably already done the same thing.

He looked over at Marie now, deep in conversation with Kat. Chris was on the other side of his fiancé looking hopelessly bored with the evening. He turned and gave Rocky a sympathetic look from behind his wire glasses. Rocky grinned back and then turned to study his girlfriend. She was a good, solid girl. He really had nothing to complain about. Everything about her was just fine. She was very pretty, she was a good cook, the families got along, sex was ok. She was…just fine. He decided Carri was out of his league anyway. What the hell would he do with a famous girlfriend that traveled all over the world to exotic places. What could he possibly offer a girl like that? A little school in a strip mall and three more siblings to get through college? It was totally ridiculous she'd even give him any serious consideration, that is, if she'd even been available. Which she wasn't.

Adam grinned at Rocky from across the table. His friend had it bad. Poor Marie, he thought. If Rocky was hesitant to marry her before the reunion, it was six times more likely he'd stall again now. Privately Adam had been surprised to hear Carri was dating Jason. He thought the two more likely to butt heads than become romantically involved. They were both very driven, independent people. Rocky would have been a much easier match. He sighed, looking over at Tonya. Who could tell where love happened and where it didn't?

* * *

Kim had to admit; Tommy was as good as his word. He'd become a really good dancer. He skillfully led her around the dance floor to a moderately fast beat, slowing and pulling her closer as the song changed and the tempo slowed. She pushed him back a little, keeping space between them. She knew he wanted answers, knew he grilled Jason about her involvement with the Nova Rangers the previous night. 

Tommy allowed her to add space between them. He was surprised to find himself having a difficult time with the closeness. Standard dance positions required him to put a hand on her hip or back, but the cut of Kim's backless outfit meant that either way he was touching bare skin. Not that he hadn't thought about his ex-girlfriend over the years, but his reaction to her real life presence had caught him off guard. He had filed her away years ago as puppy love; a first, boyish love. The kind you were never quite sure if you missed because of the person or the innocence of the time.

Katherine had accused him of holding on to the past. Maybe he had, but Kim had represented more than a girlfriend. More than anyone else, Kim had believed in him. Believed he could shake off the evil that had consumed him as a green Ranger, believed that he could come back and lead the Rangers in white, and believed he could become everything Zordon was preparing him for. She'd had faith in him at a time when he'd struggled to find it in himself. She played a critical role in his development as a Ranger.

He'd tried to return that faith in her by encouraging her to follow her own dreams and she'd shattered his young world by leaving him behind. He'd never known the whole truth of the matter. She had tried to retract the letter she'd written him, admitting she'd met someone else, but the tabloids had linked her to more than one gymnast. It had never made sense to him, and even now he didn't want to analyze it. The woman dancing with him now had hurt him far deeper than anyone or anything he'd ever encountered and yet here he was, dancing with her as if no time had passed between them at all. He had simply to close his eyes and he was sixteen all over again.

As they danced in step to the slower beat, he studied her. Zordon had asked him to keep an eye on her. He had known her experience on Muirantias would change her, and had worried that he wouldn't be present to guide her. Physically, she was a tiny woman. A gymnast, with long elegant fingers and legs. He still considered her one of the most beautiful women he'd ever known.

He indulged the moment and allowed his mind to drift back to the first time he'd seen her. His mother had just remarried and they'd drug him out of his own high school in Arizona, moved him to California, and forced him to transfer to Angel Grove midyear. He was angry at the move; life had been just beginning to get good for him. The gangliness that haunted him the previous year was filling in and he'd managed to secure a good girlfriend and a fairly popular status in his old school. He was even teaching karate and finally had money all for his own use. He was starting all over again half way through freshman year. It wasn't fair.

It seemed incredibly silly to him now, but it had been all consuming then. His mother had tried her best, but he was still angry with her. He wasn't supposed to start school until Monday, but she had signed him up for a stupid tour of the school the Friday before. To make it worse, she'd come with him. Although he loved his mother dearly, there was absolutely nothing worse in a fifteen-year-old boy's life than his mother tagging along. As the student government representative showed them around the hallways, his mother would point out how nice this was, how his old school didn't have that, and this wasn't going to be so bad, was it? It was mortifying.

Then the bell rang and he saw her in the school hallway. He'd just stood there, frozen as she walked down the hall laughing with her friends. His mother had tried to hide a smile behind her hand, but he hadn't cared. The kid giving him the tour had laughed at him, saying every guy at Angel Grove High had tried at some point to hook up with Kimberly Hart. He assured Tommy it was a useless cause, her group was into something called martial arts, not even the football players stood a chance of getting her attention. Tommy had just grinned; thinking for the first time that perhaps moving to Angel Grove wasn't going to be such a bad thing after all.

He'd run all the way over to the Youth Center and begged Ernie for a late entry into the tournament that weekend, saying he'd only just moved there and that was why he'd missed the deadline. Ernie took pity on him and let him enter anyway, allowing him to be an alternate for another competitor that had backed out. Tommy grinned inwardly, he had been so young. It was a little embarrassing now, but he had thought himself a genius at the time.

He watched for her all day, finally catching a glimpse just before his match with Jason. His mind had been distracted and he lost several points by either showing off or just not concentrating on what he was doing. The match had ended in a tie, not something the young Tommy had been used to. He'd berated himself fiercely, until he caught her watching him. His heart had pounded wildly, and for the first time in his life he had trouble approaching a girl. By the time he got his act together, her friends were pulling her away.

He'd waited all the next morning for her to arrive at school. When he finally found her in the hallway being harassed by Bulk and Skull…

"Such serious thoughts." Kim commented, "Are the steps really that hard?"

"No, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

He regarded her intently for a moment. She was relaxed, one arm raised with her hand casually resting on his shoulder, the other held loose in his hand, allowing him to steer her across the floor. Then something caught his eye. Her arms were very muscular, as was the rest of her. Physical fitness had always been a major priority for both of them, it had been one of many things they had in common, but there was something about the cut of Kim's arms that gave him pause. She was too muscular for someone who worked out casually. Either Kim had become a gym nut, working out every day, all day, or she was back Rangering. His gut told him it was the latter. So much for her insistence she wasn't a morphing Ranger.

"Why are you helping the Nova Rangers track down Zordon's power coins?" He asked suddenly. Silently he berated himself, that had been clumsily said.

Kim stopped and stepped away from him. "Thank you for the dance." She said flatly and turned and left the dance floor. Damn Oliver, she thought angrily. For the first time in years she was actually having a good time. It had all been a distraction. He'd let her relax and drop her guard. Damn him, she thought again as she left the dance floor and stepped out on the deck. So much for staying friends.

"Kimberly!" Tommy called, but she didn't turn back. She stepped off the deck stairs, removed her shoes, and walked out onto the beach.

* * *

Up on the moon, two NASADA scientists were dressed in space suits, packing up an archeological dig in preparation for their scheduled morning departure. 

"Hurry up Pucca, I want to get this stuff stored and go over the check list again."

"Coming Garu." Pucca called. "It's a beautiful Earthrise isn't?"

"Whatever." Garu said testily. Six months on the moon with his overly affectionate colleague had been six months of pure torture. It had only increased his enmity towards her and he was eager to be done with the whole thing and go home.

"Uh, Garu?"

"What is it now?"

"Who's that?"

"What? Who? Huh?"

On the top of small rise stood two monsters. Well, one was definitely a monster. He was over eight feet tall with huge spines protracting and receding fluidly under his bluish gray skin. On his shoulders sat three heads. The center, dominant one, was the head of a dragon. On each shoulder sat the angry snarling head of a bald lion. The other creature he was sure was a tiger of sorts, but standing on two legs. As he stared harder, he realized it wasn't a tiger at all, it was a woman, but like no woman he had ever seen. She was beautiful beyond words.

She stood languidly, as if she had no other care in the world except to stand there, her head held high. This was a woman who commanded great power, her movements were nothing short of regal. She was dressed in tight black leather, her long straight hair, striped orange and black, fell loosely down to her hips. Her ears were to the side and made of skin, like a human's ears, but they were definitely cat like in their shape. Her eyes… her eyes were fascinating, drawing him, encompassing him.

"Yeeeessssss." It was strange and eerie sound. A loud whisper that reverberated in his head, echoing, commanding… "Yessss, come here."

"Garu, what are you doing? We need to run!"

"Where would we go?" He answered, sounding as if he was just waking from a dream.

"That's close enough." Teeg said, her voice harsh and raspy. She raised a large metal staff topped with a crescent moon. "You two will do nicely."

Pucca and Garu screamed as the energy bolt hit them. It seemed to take an eternity, every cell in their bodies seemed to explode simultaneously. Teeg laughed. A cruel maniacal laugh as the two twisted and convulsed below her. They fell into two heaps, smoke rising and drifting carelessly away. When at last she lowered her staff, she stepped forward and sensually, slowly approached her chosen ones.

"I have a job for you two." She purred, pure sexuality oozing through her voice.

"Here," she handed the crescent staff to Pucca, "This belongs to you…Rita."

* * *

"Kim." Tommy said again, catching up with her on the beach. "I'm sorry. I have to know. Is your ex husband the one responsible for the disappearance of the Dragonzord coin?" 

Kim turned and regarded him coolly. "No." She said simply. "He's the one I sent to find it."

"You sent? I don't understand."

"No, I'm sure you don't. This isn't your fight Tommy, enough people have already died. Do us both a favor and stay out of it."

"It's my coin damnit."

"No. It was Zordon's coin. He took the coins with him to Eltar and he hid them. Why, is my concern, not yours."

"He didn't take all the coins with him." Tommy said. He wasn't sure how much she knew and how much she didn't. Damn, why couldn't the Rangers communicate with one another? He'd worked for years to unite the teams as Dark Specter had united the forces of evil years before. The Rangers were too solitary, too protective of their secrets. They took their oath of secrecy to extremes. They needed to work together, pull together as the Red Assembly did. He wasn't an outsider, he and Kim had fought on the same team, and they were obviously after the same thing this time around, why was she excluding him?

"Rocky, Adam, and Aisha have theirs."

She seemed to consider his news.

"Kim," he continued, "The coins regenerated when Zordon died. His energy re-charged them, there's even a new grid somewhere." Kim nodded, but said nothing.

"I don't think you understand," Tommy continued. "The coins are re-charged. Whoever has the Dragonzord coin can create another green Ranger."

"I'm aware of that." Kim said. She sighed heavily and crossed her arms across her chest. Tommy wasn't going to let it go. She never really expected him to. Still, she really didn't want him involved. She wasn't entirely sure why. It wasn't a power play. She could honestly care less if he took charge or Elemi took charge, but she told herself that the Earth needed him here, not roaming the galaxy. She knew Zordon had charged him with many of Earth's secrets. Demonking was not an easy foe. He was by far the most dangerous creature she had ever encountered. Tommy was needed here, she didn't want him charging off and getting himself killed.

"Rocky gave his coin to Jason." She said and he nodded, he knew that. "I have my coin and Aisha's" She continued, "and have hidden them in a sub-dimension here on Earth."

"That leaves Adam with his. What about the other coins?"

Kim surprised him by laughing. "If I knew that, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"How many coins are missing?"

"All of them."

"What?" He asked breathlessly.

"Zordon hid them all, they're all missing. Except for the Dragonzord coin, he apparently left that with you and now it's been stolen."

There was an accusation in her voice he didn't like and his eyes hardened. She had said it to hurt him and he recognized it. But it was true. Truth was the bitterest medicine to swallow. The coin had been stolen when his command center had been destroyed. He had searched everywhere, but it was gone.

"Do you know who took it?" He asked. There was really only one answer to that, but what happened to the coin afterwards was anyone's guess.

"No, but I know who has it now. It's only a matter of time before the evil green Ranger returns, but I seriously doubt it'll be anywhere close to Earth."

At that moment the ground rumbled violently, knocking them both to the sandy beach and a large explosion plumed skyward.

"What the hell…" Tommy said.

They watched as a large fighting force appeared on the beach below the deck of the hotel. From a distance, they looked almost like putties. Tommy wasn't sure whether to be concerned or to laugh.

"Putties?" He asked incredulously. "Are they serious?"

"Those aren't putties." Kim said softly. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

"Huh?"

"Claybots." She said simply, watching intently as the fighters in question raced up the deck of the hotel and began to wreck havoc. "They're like putties on heroine. They have a tri-processing system. First you have to disable the processor in the back, a direct hit between the shoulder blades works best. If you don't take that out, the second primary system is virtually impossible to shut down. You know you've succeeded when their eye slits switch from yellow to red. The second processor is located here." She indicated her sternum, "You have to go up and under the protective front shield. They'll double over and their information systems will scramble. You'll only have about thirty seconds to destroy them completely before the central processor in the front regenerates. Easiest thing to do is go straight for the head area, where the emergency power system is. Crushing the neck is fastest, but you can also destroy them by smashing the head open."

Tommy gave her a horrified look.

"They're robots Tommy. Smash and trash 'em before they kill you or an innocent civilian… and they will kill civilians, they don't really care who gets in their way."

"Anything else?" He asked.

" If you see a larger version, deeper gray, no glowing eyes, possibly off to one side directing, those are the viratrons. They're like drill sergeants, they keep the claybots on track and in formation. Don't destroy them. They're usually an innocent civilian who was captured and infected with a clay virus. Depending on how long ago they were infected, they can generally be restored. It's better to capture them… but they'd rather kill you than let themselves be captured again."

"You've encountered them before I take it?"

"You think?" she countered, a little nastier than she probably should have. Claybots meant Teeg was making her move. What the hell could that witch want here on Earth?

Tommy and Kim watched as the crowd of people on the deck ran inside for cover and seven figures appeared to run in the opposite direction towards the claybots.

"That looks like our cue." Kim said, watching the former Rangers begin their attack.

"Looks like someone filled them in on how to disable those things." Tommy commented.

"Jason...or Billy. Possibly both."

Tommy nodded. "Let's do it!"

Claybots were definitely not putties. They were softer, almost rubbery, absorbing much of the energy behind a punch or kick. It was a little like fighting an overly soft ball, but a fast one that fought back.

"Time to up the anti." Jason called to Carri and Kim. They nodded and the three of them morphed into their Ninjetti forms. The fight went a little easier after that, but not much.

The former Rangers regrouped not once, but twice. There seemed to be no end to the claybots attack. But just as quickly as they arrived, they did an abrupt about face, leaving the destroyed deck area and retreating down towards the beachfront.

"Ok, this is weird." Kim said. Claybots didn't retreat; they fought until they were destroyed.

A high pitched cackle drifted over the water and all nine former Rangers looked around for its source.

"Hello kiddies," a familiar voiced called. "Miss me?"

"I know that voice." Adam said.

"Rita?" Tommy asked. "Are you kidding me?"

"Someone please wake me up from this nightmare." Rocky said.

"Awe, boys…I've missed you too."

The claybots fell back, making way for their mistress. From across the lake, the familiar forms of Rita and Lord Zedd drifted steadily closer upon a floating dais.

"We're back!" Rita waved, as the dais reached the beachfront and continued across the sand. It rose up so that it was level with the deck area, stopping just short of the large deck itself, but close enough for the Rangers to see that Rita and Zedd had changed a little. Rita was still dressed in her voluminous robes, but her hair was pink, not blue. Zedd's body wasn't red at all, in fact it was nearly completely covered in black armor.

"This isn't right." Kim said, a creepy feeling crawling down the base of her spine. "It's impossible." Rocky and Adam turned to her, noticing for the first time her red Ninjetti uniform. Jason, in green and Carri in yellow, joined her.

"You were wrong Kim." Jason growled. "Admit it."

"That's not Rita and Zedd." Kim insisted.

"Looks pretty damn close to me." Jason insisted.

"What are you thinking Kim?" Tommy asked, joining the group.

"I'm thinking I need to go find someone." Kim said.

"All right Kiddies," Rita called, "Social call is over. Zeddie and I just wanted to say hello, but we have a lot of unpacking to do, I hope you understand. We'll catch you later at your Power Chamber...oh, I forgot, you brats don't have one!" She cackled.

"When we do meet again you pathetic gaggle of retirees, it will mean your complete and total destruction!" Zedd called.

The underside of the dais began to sparkle like a huge roman candle and the two ascended into the twilight toward the waiting moon above.

"Toodles!" Rita called. As quickly as the claybots had arrived, they vanished, marching in formation off the sand and through a dimensional wall.

"You have got to be kidding me." Carri said as the three powered down out of uniform. "I gotta go." Kim said in a daze. Jason grabbed her arm and spun her around a little more forcefully than he intended.

"You were wrong!" he growled, shaking her.

"Jason… you're gonna hurt her man … lighten up dude." Zack said reaching out to try and disengage Jason's hold on Kim.

"I'm fine." Kim said as Jason released her. His eyes were murderous and accusatory. "That wasn't Rita and Zedd." She insisted.

"Are you sure?" Tommy asked.

"I concur." Billy added, joining the group. "Not just the alterations in their physical manifestations. I observed several other intriguing differences that would also tend to support Kim's theory."

"What are we going to do?" Trini asked. "If Rita's back, there are no Rangers."

"There are Rangers," Tommy said, "Just none available to fight for Angel Grove long term."

"I have to go." Kim repeated, walking away from the group.

"Kim," Jason called. He hadn't meant to hurt her, he was just furious with these new developments."

"I have to know." She called over her shoulder, "I'll be back as soon as I find something out." With that, a soft red light began to glow around her. She kept walking and the light grew brighter, sparkling in fluid waves, and then she was gone.

"What just happened?" Zack asked. He had seen it, but he didn't believe it.

"Transportational portal." Billy explained. All eyes turned to him.

"But it came from … it came from inside her." Trini said.

" I think we need to regroup." Tommy said and the others nodded in agreement. The party was obviously over.

* * *

"I wondered how long it would take you to come here." The figure said. It was woman, dressed all in white with a gold crown across her forehead, observing a huge viewing globe. Everything here was white; the floor, the ceiling, the walls, the furnishings, the lights. Overkill, Kim thought, but she never commented on it. 

"What happened?" Kim asked. The figure sighed heavily, but didn't turn around. She was watching Rita and Zedd open up the Lunar Palace.

"I forgot about those staffs." She said simply, her voice raspy. The figure turned around and Kim approached her.

"Rita," She began, but the figure held up a hand to stop her.

"Mystic Mother." She corrected. "Now, more than ever, I'm going to insist."

Kim stopped, took a deep breath, and sighed heavily.

"Mystic Mother," she began again and the woman smiled and nodded, "What happened? Who is that?" she pointed towards the viewing globe.

"It appears to be Rita and Lord Zedd moving back into a restored Lunar Palace." Mystic Mother observed.

"Obviously." Kim said, an edge of frustration creeping into her voice, "But if you are here and Edward is in Briarwood, who is that posing as Rita and Lord Zedd?"

"Oh it's Rita and Zedd alright Kimmie. No doubt about that... Don't you think she's a bit chubbier than I was though?"

"Rita!" Kim yelled, then stopped herself, "Mystic Mother," She began again in a much calmer voice and the woman next to her smiled and nodded approvingly, "What happened?"

The Mystic Mother seemed to think about that for a moment, turning back to the viewing globe, and then turning back again to face Kim.

"Someone found the staff." She said simply. At Kim's blank look she waved her hands dismissively. She turned and stepped up the stairs of the dais to her throne and sat down.

"I wasn't born Rita," she explained, "The staff made Rita. Oh don't get me wrong Kimmie," She said, leaning forward, hands resting on her knees casually, "I was born bad. My daddy was a monster in his own right. The staff was a present from someone who was pleased with daddy's work. It turned me from a bad sorceress into a very bad sorceress." She paused, as if remembering.

Kim had a sinking feeling in her knees. "That someone who gave you the staff, that wouldn't by chance have been Demonking would it?"

"Well," Mystic Mother said, "You know, I don't really know. Daddy always _said_ it was from Demonking, but he tended to exaggerate; quite a bit actually. Could have just been from Teeg, she's powerful enough."

"And you didn't think, given the circumstances between Teeg and myself, that knowledge was necessary?"

The Mystic Mother seemed to contemplate that idea. Her head cocked to one side, eyes drifted to the ceiling, and one finger slowly rose up to the side of her mouth.

"Oh for the love of all that's…" Kim shouted.

"I don't think I like your attitude." The Mystic Mother said calmly. Kim stopped, fists clenched to her sides. Her teeth ground into one another. She forced herself to take a deep calming breath.

"Teeg is here." She said between clenched teeth.

The Mystic Mother slowly raised herself backward in her seat.

"She followed you here?" she asked seriously. "Are you positive?"

Kim nodded. "I'm very positive. Although what she could want here I have no idea. None of the original coins are here, just the replacements. Tommy was apparently allowed to keep the Dragonzord coin, but that was stolen and sold to Teeg; we already knew that. I don't know what happened to the Tigerzord coin, he says he doesn't have it…but it was a replacement coin, so I don't know why Zordon would bother taking it."

"Are you sure no one else kept their coins? If he allowed you and Tommy to keep two of them, maybe he allowed the others to keep theirs."

Kim shook her head. "Zordon gave me my original coin after Muirantias, he said I'd need it someday. As far as I know, Tommy's the only other Ranger allowed to keep one of the older coins."

"I thought little Jas-e-poo had one."

Kim shook her head. "It's Rocky's. Jason's coin was too valuable to leave behind just so Jase could morph."

The Mystic Mother nodded understandingly. "And you have the pink coin?"

"It's hidden in a subdimension only I can access." Kim responded, "I know where it is, but don't dare try and go for it."

Again the Mystic Mother nodded. Then she froze, as if a horrifying idea had occurred to her. She rose and hurriedly descended the steps to return to the viewing globe.

"What is it?" Kim asked.

"Kimberly," Mystic Mother said slowly, as if she was still trying to formulate her idea, "Is Teeg aware that Zordon made copies of those coins during that whole transfer of power thing?"

Kimberly shrugged. "You mean when Rocky, Adam, and Aisha took over?"

Mystic Mother nodded.

"The copies were made ten thousand years after she was locked away, she's only just re-emerged from…" Kimberly stopped, beginning to understand where the Mystic Mother was leading.

"Those copies, were they made from the same source?"

Kimberly smiled. "No. They were made from the same substance as the Tigerzord coin. Zordon said the original metal wasn't available to him anymore, so he used a nearly identical alloy…but it was different."

Mystic mother smiled. "And yet the morphing signatures are the same?"

"Nearly identical."

Mystic Mother turned to observe her viewing globe of the outside human world. Perhaps the appearance of Rita and Zedd wasn't as devastating as it appeared. If it could be turned to their advantage…"Teeg doesn't want Earth or she'd have already set about conquering it. She's brought back Rita and Zedd as a distraction. You're becoming a nuisance and she wants to keep you away from the Nova Rangers. She may or may not know of the existence of the coins on this planet, but if she's here for any given length of time, and I know she's going to hang around long enough to make sure you stay behind, she'll pick up on them. She won't be concerned with minor variations in the metal alloys, she's going to go after the morphing signature." The Mystic Mother turned and looked Kimberly in the eyes. "You need to make sure she gets her hands on at least one of those copies."

"But she'll be able to create an evil Ranger from it." Kimberly protested.

"An evil Ranger or two is the least of your worries little girl. If Teeg has a copy, and doesn't find out she's got a copy, she'll think she's ahead of the game." The Mystic Mother paused, when she resumed she pointed her finger at Kim for emphasis, "Demonking needs all six original coins together or he can't come out in the open and play. Nothing is going stop him from possessing those coins Kim. Slip a copy in there, and suddenly nothing works the way it's supposed to." She smiled broadly, relief showing in her posture. " It will take time to find and collect those coins. More time to figure out why they don't work when linked together."

"But they will work," Kim insisted.

"They'll create Rangers all right, and they'll work together on the same grid, but unless he's got all six _original_ coins, he's gonna stay locked away behind that damn gate of his. That's what you have to worry about girlie. That's the mission Zordon gave you, don't ever lose sight of it. Those copies will give you much some needed time to grow up, understand your power. Perhaps not all is lost after all."

* * *

Shortly after midnight, when Kim finally made it home to Jason's condo she was surprised to find it overflowing with Rangers. In addition to those present at the reunion were Andros and his wife Ashley, as well as Carlos, TJ and a few people she didn't know. She nodded at them and Ashley smiled and waved. She smiled back. Ashley was hugely pregnant and Andros hovered nervously around her chair as if she'd go into labor at any second. 

"Well..." Jason demanded.

"I was right, that's not our Rita."

"How is that possible?" Aisha asked.

Kim sighed heavily and clasped her fingers around her neck, but said nothing.

"We have to pull together Kim, we've got to be organized for the next attack. Whatever information you have, we need to know it, now." Tommy said. Kim nodded and let out the breath she was holding.

"Apparently, Rita drew a lot of her power from her staff, we knew that. What we didn't know is what happened to the staff after Rita and Zed were…" She paused, searching for the right word. "Purified."

"Were what?" Katherine asked.

"Purified." Kim answered. "Their hearts were opened and they were turned to the good."

Tommy cursed under his breath, he'd heard the rumors, but he'd dismissed them. Rita fighting for good made as much sense as Zordon being alive and in hiding. He listened ruefully as Kim continued.

"Originally, we thought that she and Zedd had been turned human, but then Rita discovered she still had her powers and…"

"Wait a second, I thought you said that wasn't our Rita." Zack interrupted.

"It's not." Kim tried to explain.

"Then Rita, our Rita's still alive?" Rocky asked.

"Oh yes, she's still here. She and Zedd live up the coast a ways; they haven't gone anywhere. Well, except sub-dimensionally. The human world was a bit much for her after a while. It gave her headaches. She's set herself up in one of Earth's sub-dimensions as a force for good." Kim explained.

There were a number of derogatory comments and soon everyone was talking loudly over everyone else. Carri's piercing whistle silenced them. "Let's all just calm down and find out what Kim has to say." She said. There were a few agreements and then the room silenced, all eyes on Kim.

"The short of it is," Kim said, frustration clear in her tone, "This is a new Rita and a new Lord Zedd." She paused, not really wanting to continue, but Mystic Mother had insisted and she had to consider the bigger mission. "They've been sent here to keep me busy on my home planet so I can't assist Elemi and the Nova Rangers when they need me." There, it was out. She glanced briefly at Tommy and then looked away. "Teeg, a very powerful witch who's been fighting the Novas, set this up. She knows I'm not going to leave my home world and my family undefended. She doesn't have the time, nor the inclination to stay here herself long term, so she dug up Rita and Lord Zedd's staffs and…" Kim threw her hands up.

"And now we have a new Rita and Lord Zedd to fight." Adam finished for her. "So what do we do?"

"If old Rita still has her powers and is still here, why not let her take on New Rita?" Zack suggested. "I mean, she wants to be a force for good right?"

"It's not that simple," Kim said, "She's kind of got her hands full in her own dimension right now."

Tommy's head fell back on his shoulders in frustration and he rubbed his eyes. This was getting them nowhere. There was a big piece to this puzzle missing and Kim was going to come clean if he had to physically beat it out of her.

"What I want to know," a blond woman sitting by Andros said quietly, "Is what relation you are to the Nova Rangers and why you were so important to distract?"

Kim eyed the woman; she was about her age and dressed head to toe in black.

"Kimberly, this is my sister Karone." Andros said. "She's a former Galaxy pink Ranger."

"We've met." Kim said absently. She'd run into Karone a few times, but she didn't know her well.

Kimberly starred at her as she weighed her options, realizing she was quickly running out of them. She had a lot to do in the next few days and weeks and it was far easier to just let the Ranger community here on Earth in on her activities. Hopefully, she prayed, Elemi would understand and forgive her.

"I'm the Nova pink Ranger." She said simply.

"But you turned into a Ninjetti red." Adam said.

"My powers are separate from one another." She said simply. Well, it was sort of the truth.

"I thought you said you weren't a morphing Ranger." Tommy said icily, his eyes hard and unforgiving.

"I said I wasn't a morphing Ranger _at the moment_. I've never used the Nova powers on Earth." She replied coolly. "I only use those powers far away from my home planet and only when I'm active with that team…which I'm not right now." She met his eyes with an equally hard stare and several people shifted uncomfortably.

"You're Elemi's wife?" Karone asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room. Whatever was between Kim and Tommy they'd have to work out on their own. Now was not the time to start battling each other.

"Ex-wife." Kim corrected and Karone smirked. Oh yes, she had heard the stories of how the Rheigan prince had tricked his sorceress bride into the marriage bed. The most popular versions had the pair falling madly in love with each other during their divorce and taking up a scandalous out of wedlock affair. She wondered what the truth was.

"I thought he married someone named Kaycea." Karone asked silkily and Kim scowled at her.

"Kaycea is the name Dulcea gave me when I completed my training on Phaedos. "Kay" for the first letter of my name and "Cea" the ending of her own; indicating the master who trained me. It's more convenient to use that name intergalactically… it's more pronounceable in Basic speech and more easily recognized for what it is."

"Once upon a time I fought your husband." she said, purposely leaving out the ex.

"I know who you were Karone." Kim said icily and Karone's smile faded.

"Guys," Andros attempted to intercede.

"You know who I was," Karone responded silkily, "And I know now who you _are_." She smiled sweetly and sat back in her chair.

"Whatever." Carri said, this was getting them nowhere. "Bickering between ourselves isn't going to make Rita and Zedd go away."

"Did Rita…ah, whatever she calls herself now," Jason asked, "Did she say how we get rid of this New Rita?"

"We have to destroy those staffs." Kim said simply.

"Oh well, and I thought you were going to say something difficult…" Jason growled.

"Why is that so hard?" Carri asked and was met by a round of groans from all who had previously fought the duo.

"We need to organize." Trini said. "We need to set up a Power Chamber and figure out what weapon's we still have available."

All eyes turned to Tommy. He was a bit surprised, but, then again he was the only one of them who had organized an official Ranger team on Earth.

"We need morphers." Billy said. "Are there any available for utilization here on Earth or do we need to look off world?"

"The Space morphers are in use on KO 34 and KO 35." Andros said. "General Gruumm is getting way too close, they needed the protection."

"The Dino morphers are toast." Tommy added. "The gems survived, but there's not much power in them."

"What about the old power coins?" Adam asked. "My coin's been fully charged since Zordon…" He left the last of his sentence unsaid. Aisha looked briefly at Kim and Kim looked away.

"That's not a good idea." She said simply.

"Why?" Rocky asked.

"Because we don't have all the coins, they're scattered. We need something we can pull together fast. A new grid that we can link to and develop zords around."

"You really think this is going to come to that?" Zack asked.

Kim nodded. She'd seen the developing Lunar Palace. Teeg had seen that her new Rita and Zedd would be well stocked. They had a few days at most.

"Aw man," Zack said slowly. "I can't. I mean, I can't do this long term again. I have work, responsibilities, a new mortgage to pay…"  
"Zack, no one here will fault you for not staying." Trini said.

"It's not like I'm running from a fight…"

"No one is saying you are." Tommy added. "We've all got lives…jobs, families," he gestured to Ashley, "Dependants. We need to consider our options and go from there."

The conversations broke into small groups. Soft murmurings became animated discussions. Eventually the buzz escalated into loud conversations. Kim closed her eyes and rubbed her temples with her fingers. When she looked up, she saw Tommy quietly studying her. She smiled sadly and walked over to him.

"My little brother called me this morning." She said. "He wants me to go half and half with him on my grandfather's old ranch. It's being auctioned soon through the bankruptcy court, we might actually get it for a good price. He has this crazy idea about developing the back acreage into a housing development and he knows I've always been disappointed I didn't inherit the old house."

"What does that have to do with all this?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm moving back to Angel Grove… well, the Stone Canyon side anyway. I'm going to stay here a while, renovate that old house, and see this through."

"Won't the Nova's need you?"

"Elemi's not going to be happy about it, if that's what you mean." That was an understatement. Elemi was going to be furious, but she'd dealt with his anger before. "I can't leave Earth. This is my fault. Teeg had no reason to come here except me."

Tommy nodded, but said nothing. His eyes scanned the group of Rangers. They had all responded quickly, some without even waiting for him to call. All of them had been ready in an instant to drop everything and return to duty; even Ashley. Zordon would have been very proud.

"Need help getting the Zeo crystal out of mothballs?"

Tommy looked up. How the hell had she known? He grinned, "I think I can find it." He said simply.

"Good," she said. "Those Dino gems were so archaic they scared me."

What was going on here, he wondered silently. How could she possibly have known about the dino gems? Unless it was his imagination, was she actually coming around and agreeing to work with him? He smiled, "They served their purpose."

"Mmm, yes, I'd just love to see what those things did to your DNA, they weren't meant for human use you know."

"Yes," he answered," I knew that." And I'll be very interested to find out how you knew, he added silently.

Carri wondered over to them then. "I'm in." She said simply.

"Carri…" Kim began, but Carri shook her head. "No, I already knew it was time for a change. These condos are going for a fairly decent price…." She gestured with her hand, indicating Jason's home. " Decent by California standards anyway. I think I'll try being a California girl for a while." She looked up at Tommy, "Rita and Zedd can't be any harder than Ivan to fight. You can count this little yellow canary in your group."

"Just …don't sing..." Kim said, referring to her lack of vocal skills. Carri slapped her arm.

"Me too," Rocky said, coming over to join the group. Privately he wondered what the hell he was doing. He had Marie to think about, a school to run, he had been so glad to see his Ranger days end. Yet suddenly, nothing was more important to him than volunteering for this mission. Carri smiled at him and he blushed uncomfortably.

"Me three." Jason said, walking over and slapping Tommy's shoulder. "What, you think you could do this without me?

Tommy smiled. Looking over at Kim, he lifted his eyes heavenward.

"I'm with you as well." Billy said. They turned to look at him. "You're going to need someone to build you a Command Center, run it … and someone to build you better zords than they had up in Reefside."

"Hey," Tommy said in mock defense.

"No offense." Billy added. "But dinosaurs?"

As the five gathered around each other, making plans for the next few days, Adam sat quietly in his chair and watched them. Absently, he twisted the wedding band on his left hand. Tanya sat down on the arm of the oversized chair and put her arms around him.

"I wouldn't fault you for staying with them." She said.

He smiled sadly. They were leaving tomorrow morning to join Tanya's tour bus in Chicago. Her career was just starting to skyrocket. He had her music production company to oversee and his own projects to complete. Besides, there were other reasons now that prevented him volunteering.

"I can't leave you." He said sadly. She smiled and kissed the top of his head.

"Of course you can. I'm one tough former Ranger. I'll be absolutely fine on my own for a while."

"For a while." Adam said, "But no one knows how long this is going to last. A week, a month, a year…" He shook his head and met her eyes. "Time to grow up."

* * *

Teeg scanned her readings one more time. Impossible, she thought. Her fingers tapped in the information one more time. After a few minutes the same results flashed across her screen. No wonder this little backwater planet had so many Rangers. 

She rose from her chair and glided to the ship's view screen. A full glowing blue and green Earth floated peacefully below. Slowly, she extended one hand outward toward her viewing globe, one long black nail scratched across its surface. Kimberly's face came into view. She was in a small room, crowded with people; too many people. It would be difficult at best to eavesdrop. She retracted her hand slowly, fingers sliding across her chin, down her throat, and across her chest.

"What are you up to." She whispered softly, eyes watching Kimberly intently. Kimberly was not a particularly difficult opponent, Zordon's little girl Ranger or not. She was way to young for the amount of power she possessed. Teeg was convinced she had no idea what she was actually capable of. Her strategic sense had improved dramatically under that so-called husband of hers, but she made way too many easy mistakes. Now the other twin, the son of Maligore, he would be formidable one day. Briefly, she considered allowing him to live long enough to become an actual threat; it might actually be fun. Youth, Teeg mused. She wouldn't go back for all the power in the universe, well perhaps for all the power…

Her readings indicated not one, but two power coins located on the surface below. What's more, the coins were completely unprotected, as far as Teeg could tell. It was far too easy. One was most likely Kimberly's own power coin. That would prove slightly more difficult to procure. It was foreseeable, if unlikely, that she would hide it on her home world. Occasionally the obvious proved the best deception, but Teeg found that a bit trite.

But why two? Two coins in one place, in the same dimension even, didn't make sense. This was an alteration of the pattern she'd come to expect. Earth was a primitive little backwater. It amused Teeg to no end that Zordon had been trapped here until his final days. How he must have suffered in his isolation. Anger rose from her belly, he deserved to suffer. The joy of learning about his death was only marred by the fact it hadn't come by her own hands.

It was sheer pleasure for her to collect what that old wizard had spent a lifetime hiding. Destroying what must have been so important to him. Once she had all… she purred, deep and throaty, and the sound startled her. She reached out and shut off the viewing globe. She would wait. Time was not a concern for her. Despite her master's impatience, she could easily bide her time for a while. She would send Rexo back to agitate the Nova Rangers. He was obnoxious even on a good day. She would stay here a while…and watch.


	4. Chapter 4: De ja vu

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

**Chapter 4: De ja vu**

Life, after nine years of peace and quiet, is about to become eventful again for the citizens of Angle Grove. In the meantime, the Rangers are wondering if you can really go back again…

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

**All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**

**

* * *

**

Tommy was experiencing a bad case of de je vu. In his right hand, was his red Zeo crystal, in the left, his old morpher.

"It will just take me a moment to recalibrate." Billy said absently.

They were in Billy's lab at NASADA. It was an impressive set up, consisting of several huge interlocking rooms. Various experiments, in various stages of completion, were crammed into every square inch. A small sleeping space had been carved out of the fray and even that was littered with pieces of electronics. It wasn't so different from his childhood lab in his parent's garage, it was just much larger.

"That should just about do it. Try it again."

Tommy stood up. They had been at this for several hours and he was beginning to wonder if resurrecting the Zeo crystal had been a bad idea.

"Zeo Ranger 5, Red." He called. Nothing. He turned and gave Billy a frustrated look. Billy let out a long sigh.

"All right, back to square one."

Tommy closed his eyes and sat back down in his chair. He hadn't actually tried to use his Zeo morpher in a while, not since becoming the black Dinothunder Ranger. He hadn't needed it. His powers from the black Dino gem had been enough. They were part of him. Even if he didn't have the power to sustain a morph, he still had power.

Unfortunately, as Kim had speculated, the gem had also altered his DNA. Now his Zeo morpher didn't want to work for him. Why it should matter, he didn't know. As far as he knew, the Zeo crystals didn't recognize DNA, it was the energy signatures inside you. The Zeo crystals had been recalibrated before they had been put in storage, but Tommy had left his active so he could use it if needed. In the meantime, he had connected with the black Dino gem. Even though the gems had lost most of their power, he still had his invisibility powers and that seemed to conflict with the Zeo energy. But, he wasn't the only one with problems.

Kim could morph, she just couldn't sustain it. Apparently, the pink Zeo crystal was as fickle as the red and wouldn't interact with the Nova crystal signatures in Kim. Her uniform, when she morphed, was the uniform of Zeo 1, but it was dark fuscia, with far more gold banding. By now, she should have rendezvoused with the Nova team to transfer possession of the Nova crystal. Once her other powers were transferred, hopefully, the Zeo would work for her a little better.

Carri had also had a little trouble with the yellow powers, but the problem had been limited to the morpher itself and Billy had easily recalibrated it to her Ninjetti energy. Rocky didn't have a problem at all with the Zeo crystal itself, but when he completed the morphing sequence his uniform was markedly different, causing Billy and Tommy a lot of concern. It was a much darker navy blue than it should have been, without any white banding around the collar. He was quick to comment that he was more than pleased with it, but Tommy was growing more and more concerned about the changes.

Jason seemed to be the only one who didn't have any problem with either morpher or crystal. He'd completed the metamorphosis easily. His black uniform had the increase in gold banding that they all had, but unlike the other Zeos, the gold across the front of his uniform continued all the way up to his helmet and his gloves and boots were black instead of white.

"Hold on a second." Billy said, his face so close to the computer view screen it appeared to glow. "I think….no…all right….now." He handed the morpher back to Tommy and took the red crystal from him. He placed the crystal in a clear box and shut it. A few taps on his computer and the box glowed red. "That should do it." He said

"Maybe it would just be easier to call TJ. Connor would even be a good Zeo 5."

"There is no way in hell," Jason said from the oversized chair on the other side of the room, "That I'm gonna work with a kid."

"I thought you were asleep."

"Dosing."

"Connor is a good red. He could easily do this." Tommy said. "Maybe it's not such a good idea to go back again." He was tired, but not so tired he couldn't analyze his own motives. Was he pushing this group forward because it was necessary, or was he pushing himself into a position to be the red Ranger again? He honestly couldn't answer. The quiet life was nice, but it got boring after a while.

"He'll just experience the same difficulties the rest of you are facing." Billy commented. "If you can have a little more patience, this is a recognition issue. It's a difficult, but not impossible anomaly to solve."

Jason gave a loud harrumph, but didn't comment. He had another morpher; he was not going to give it up easily. Kimberly had asked him not to use the Tyrannosaurus coin again, if possible. After his last run-in with Teeg over a year ago, he'd grudgingly agreed. Rita didn't bother him so much. He'd been there and done that. It was what he could do in-between attacks that had him excited. Ninjetti powers were good, Muirantian powers were better, being a morphing Ranger…that opened up the whole universe.

"Honestly Jase, this is overkill. This is Rita and Zedd we're talking about. Maybe we should just call a full halt to this and recruit some younger blood."

"You calling me old?" Jason countered, "I figure Kim and me got at least another nine or ten thousand good years on us."

"That's not what I meant. Most of this team are master Rangers, on our third plus morphers. Even Carri has previous Ranger experience, however short it was." Tommy said. "The Zeo crystals have picked up on the fact that none of us are amateurs. Just look at the superficial changes in the uniforms, it could just be the tip of the iceberg. I don't like the idea of monkeying with the Zeo crystal. It's far more powerful than we've ever previously utilized. We're talking Rita, is it really necessary for five masters to fight her?"

"Probably not." Jason answered, "But once this is done, I've got some good uses in mind for this thing." He said, holding up the green crystal.

"If the two of you are done," Billy interrupted, handing the red Zeo crystal to Tommy. "Try again."

Tommy stood up reluctantly. "Zeo Ranger 5, red." He said unconvincingly, and it worked. Within seconds he was fully morphed. His uniform was definitely that of Zeo Five, but it was now a deep burgundy color, like someone had mixed a little of his black uniform into it. Like Jason, he had more gold banding and a gold collar under his helmet. His boots and gloves were also black.

"I think we're in back business." Jason said.

* * *

Kimberly sat on the bridge of the _Enzway_, facing her former teammates. There were five other Nova Rangers besides herself and a dozen support crew.

"I'm sorry to leave you so early in our quest." She said, "My home world is not an advanced society, it's not even a rated federal world. It's not sophisticated enough to deal with this. My family, my friends, they're all in danger."

She paused, surveying their young faces. They were stunned that she'd just leave them. This was her quest; she couldn't blame them if they felt abandoned.

"Teeg knew what she was doing. I need you all to carry on without me for a while. I'll return as soon as I can."

"And what if we need the pink Ranger?" Garan asked. Garan was the Nova green Ranger. He was an older, more experienced Ranger and the only Ranger besides Elemi who was Academy trained. It had been hard for him to accept a female Ranger in the beginning. Now that he was comfortable with her, her didn't want her to go. She was as much in command as Elemi. The team needed her.

"I've discussed it with Elemi, and we both feel it's best that I choose a successor for the pink Nova powers."

This caused an uproar and everyone began talking at once. She leaned back against the console and let them have their say. Her eyes met Elemi's. He wasn't happy with her decision, but he had agreed. The previous night, she had assured him she'd return anytime she was needed and he had put his arms around her, kissed her soundly, and assured her she was needed on a daily basis. Despite her resolve to end their relationship, she had let herself be kissed. Perhaps it was foolish of her, but leaving him to carry on alone had been harder than she'd expected.

Kim was not good at breaking up, especially when the other person involved refused to give up on her. Where Elemi was concerned she had no willpower. He had simply to put his arms around her and she'd acquiesce; hating herself in the morning for being so weak. Staying with him was a nonsequitur; it simply wasn't an option. His definition of marriage was unacceptable. She was expected to remain exclusively his while fidelity on his part was not an option. Elemi already had long-term contracts with two wives. No matter how much he loved her, and she loved him, Kim refused to be number three.

If given her druthers, Kim would have probably preferred to keep the Nova powers. Despite the excitement of the others, she wasn't all that thrilled to possess the pink Zeo crystal; it made her nervous. Although the Zeo's wouldn't utilize it for more than basic morphing, it had far more potential than her other crystal and she wasn't sure yet just how it was going to interact with her Muirantian powers.

If she was totally honest with herself, it also had a lot to do with the fact that they were Katherine Hillard's old powers. Kat was going to spit nails when she turned up as Zeo Pink. If she was going to be mean, she'd say fair was fair. Kat had taken her powers…and her boyfriend, even usurped her place in school.

It was an old, childish hurt, one that the adult dismissed as silly and rarely thought of anymore. Recognizing it for what it was diffused it a bit, but it was still there, bubbling just below the surface. Becoming Zeo Pink might be fair play, but the master in her warned that she should be very careful about letting her thoughts drift along those lines.

But the Zeo Powers did have one advantage. She needed to put space between herself and Elemi. Every time she thought she was over him, they fell back together. It was a vicious cycle that wasn't good for either of them. Even though they both agreed her absence wasn't the best for the team, they both knew it was for the better that they put some distance between them personally for a while. At least the new Rita and Zedd had given her a legitimate excuse to go home for a while.

Elemi wasn't pleased at all. He thought the other Rangers on her world could handle things without her. Earth boasted more Rangers than many entire systems. But he understood that she felt responsible. He also understood that she seriously intended to sever the ties between them this time. It saddened him. He genuinely loved Kimberly. However, she refused to commit to another marriage contract with him. To be in a long term physical relationship without one was not possible for him. She didn't understand his need to remain bound to his children's mothers or his casual affairs with other females and he didn't understand why it mattered. It was a cultural crossroads.

Privately, he also thought there was more to the matter with Teeg than she was confiding, but he was content in her judgment. He would continue on with the mission. It was as much his mission as hers anyway. He stood up from his chair on the bridge and the others quieted instantly.

"Are you ready to name your successor?" He asked quietly.

They had debated the new pink Ranger long into the previous night. He was not happy with her choice. The girl was a flippant little thing, only added to the crew because she had nowhere else to go when her brother signed on as a technician. She was barely out of adolescence, a nuisance at best.

Elemi had never served with a female Ranger before. He'd heard of them, but it was still a new concept. Kim, a master Ranger by any definition, had given them all a false impression of what a pink Ranger was like. She was a commander, as capable as he himself was. He wanted another master in pink, not a child to train from ground zero. Kim had insisted that she was no better at that age, yet Zordon had still chosen her. It was of little comfort to him.

Kimberly rose and in a flash of red light, produced the pink Nova crystal. How the crew would handle her choice, she didn't know. She'd had them convinced that pink was just simply another shade of red, now she was handing her crystal to an untrained girl. She saw great potential in her, but potential was an unclaimed asset. It had yet to be realized. It was a lot to live up to and she hoped the girl would do well by them. The others remained silent, watching her intently. No one had expected a morpher to become available; it was just unheard of.

Kimberly walked forward slowly, stopping when she came to the small, brown haired girl she had singled out.

"Kee." She said simply, offering the crystal.

"Me?" The girl squeaked. "But I'm not…I'm not… I mean, I'm not even an official part of the crew."

"I don't recall that being a requirement." Kimberly said. "Kee, you have been presented with the pink Nova crystal and morpher, will you accept?"

Kee hesitated, simply staring at Kim. "Will you accept?" Kim asked again.

"Aye…ma'am." Kee whispered and Kim laid the crystal in the girl's hands.

"Now that you are a Ranger you must agree to three simple rules or risk the loss of the Power's protection." Kim said seriously, remembering in her mind's eye the day she had looked up just as solemnly at Zordon. "First, you must never use your powers for your own gain. Second, you must never escalate a fight unless you are forced to. Third, you may never reveal your identity outside the Rangers or this crew."

Kee nodded gravely and Kim put the Nova morpher in the girl's other hand. "Don't let me down."

The girl fingered the crystal and morpher reverently. She looked up with huge eyes and nodded, unable to speak.

"Do you know, I was just about your age when Zordon presented me with the pink pterodactyl morpher." Kim said. "And do you know what I said to him, standing there in the power chamber before his power tube, with him looking down on me?" Kim asked.

Kee shook her head again, eyes impossibly wide. Zordon was the master of masters, and she realized for the first time that now she, Kee, was part of his direct line through Kimberly. It must have been an awesome thing to be hand chosen by him.

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

Kim grinned mischievously, "I said no thanks, not interested."

* * *

Trini smoothed down her blouse and skirt as she approached what she hoped was the main research and development building at the NASADA complex. She was a little disoriented. The NASADA complex itself was huge, consisting of many square miles. Very few buildings were actually marked and it was easy to get lost. Billy wanted to her to come in the late morning, after her appointment with her divorce lawyer, but he hadn't been specific.

He hadn't answered his phone earlier, but she knew he had his hands full. The others were having a rough start and he was probably just busy trying to get things straightened out. So far, Rita and Zedd had held off any attacks, but all of them were under pressure to get ready as soon as possible. She opened the door to the building and walked in.

She was a bit startled by the inside. What had been a plain, nondescript concrete block exterior, held an open, modern, interior. As she approached the black granite reception desk, she was struck by the elegance of it all.

"Name?" The uniformed woman behind the desk asked.

"Trini Gust…" She stopped midway, realizing that wasn't her name anymore. The woman behind the desk looked up and raised an irritated eyebrow at her.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Trini Kwan." Trini said plainly.

The woman tapped a few keys into the computer.

"Sit." She said simply.

"Excuse me?"

"Sit." The woman said, taking her pen and indicating a small row of chairs. Trini turned and sat down.

* * *

"Marie, we need to talk." Rocky began. Good God, couldn't he think of anything better than that? "That is, I wanted to talk with you."

"All right," Marie said. She had spent the early morning getting her classroom ready for the group of third graders who would soon be starting back to school. She'd been so glad Rocky had stopped by to see her. She'd been worried about him ever since the reunion.

Everything was so uncertain in Angle Grove since Rita and Lord Zedd came back. Everyone was running around in a frenzy. It was unsettling and she felt Rocky should be doing a better job of making her feel secure. He had all but disappeared after the reunion, running around, never returning anyone's phone calls. Marie understood he had a large family to look after, but he hadn't even been in touch with them much. His two apartment mates didn't know where he was either. She and his mother both agreed, now was the time to pull together, not disappear on each other. She knew his mother stopped by his apartment yesterday and told him so herself.

When he suddenly showed up at the school and asked if she could leave early to walk with him through the park, she'd readily agreed. It was a beautiful day. It was hot, as August generally was, but the breeze was blowing and the sun was behind some low clouds. It was just perfect for what she knew he had in mind. She sighed heavily. He hadn't said a word to her in nearly fifteen minutes, nervously rubbing his palms against his pants and visibly trying to think just how he should start the conversation. Finally, he asked her to sit down on a nearby bench.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around the last day or two." He began and she nodded.

"You've been busy."

"Yeah." That was an understatement. The last two days had been a whirlwind. He'd found a good full time instructor for his school, quit his other part time job, given up his tiny apartment with its two nosey roommates, moved in temporarily with Jason, and gotten his morpher back, all in the last forty-eight hours. When he'd returned to his apartment the night before on Tommy's orders to get at least four to five good hours of sleep, he'd been bombarded with at least a dozen messages from Marie and another half dozen from his mother demanding to know where he was and where he'd been.

Then his mom had shown up very early the following morning and had all but demanded he make things right with Marie. Why she was so suddenly adamant, he didn't know. He suspected a family powwow between his mother, his sisters, and Marie. She hadn't actually said it, but she'd dropped more than a few hints that she knew they had a physical relationship. Only Marie or one of his sisters could have clued her in on that. In his mom's book, that meant he had to do right by her. Isabelle DeSantos was a good Catholic woman; she had brought her son up as a good Catholic boy. With all the uncertainly in Angle Grove, now was the time to make things proper. He'd had two years to think about it. Now he had to be a man, take responsibility, and act. Unfortunately, to Rocky, taking responsibility meant something entirely different.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since the reunion. A lot of soul searching on where I want my life to go in the next couple of years and I uh…"

"Yes," she said, her eyes bright and the glimmer of excitement showing in her face. Oh God, Rocky thought to himself, she thinks I'm going to propose.

"I'm in a weird place in my life right now." He blurted out.

"What?" She asked, excitement dropping out of her face.

"What I mean is, I know we've been together a long time and I know that people are kind of…people are kind of expecting that maybe we should…"

"Yes..."

"I don't want to get married." He said in a rush.

"What?" she asked, a little louder than he expected. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed.

"It wouldn't be fair to you. Ever since my dad took off, I've done the responsible thing. I got a job, multiple jobs actually, I worked my way through college and I opened my school, and I've put my siblings through college. I don't want to do it again with another family."

"I don't understand."

"Most guys my age are worrying what stereo they're going to put in their car, I'm worried about how I'm going to be able to put my three youngest siblings through a good college at the same time. I've got three sisters who are going to want weddings…I'm done taking care of a family. I don't want any more responsibility." Rocky couldn't decide if she was stunned or about to strangle him.

"It's just that," he raced on, "Marie you're a wonderful woman. You're a great girl, you're sweet, you're a fabulous cook, you're beautiful. But you want a husband that's going to buy you your own house and give you your own children. I've been raising children for the last eleven years; I don't want anymore. I don't want another family. I don't want to get beaten down like my dad and wake up one day and just take off, never to be heard from again."

That wasn't exactly true. Rocky knew he wasn't much like his dad. His dad had been crushed by the overwhelming responsibility of six kids and his inability to hold down a job. One day he'd just cracked. He'd taken off to New Mexico and never looked back. With Zordon's help, Rocky had managed to find him fairly easily. Even though his mom swore she didn't have a clue where her husband could have gone, she hadn't been surprised by Rocky's findings and had been more than a little upset that Rocky had even tried.

Both agreed that they were better off without him and he never said anything after that, not even when they received the occasional letter. Rocky had been devastated. He'd firmly resolved to make life better for his mother and siblings and that's exactly what he'd done. Giving up his life as the blue Ranger was a small sacrifice and, until lately, he'd never considered returning.

But enough was enough. He wanted control over his life again. He wanted to do something for himself. He would never renege his responsibilities; he just wanted a chance to choose what those responsibilities were. Marie was not a responsibility he wanted.

"Rocky that's insane. That's nonsense. We never talked about this." Marie protested.

"I know, I know, but that's just it, the last couple of days… I'm just now realizing I don't want any of that stuff. I've been brought up to want it, so I thought I wanted it, but now I know I definitely don't. As soon as the youngest is through school, the last thing I want is to start over with another set of kids."

"You think maybe you could have told me this two years ago?" she shouted. He held his hands up defensively.

"I didn't know." He said. "Look, you're everything I've ever wanted in a girl, you're wonderful. Honestly, I couldn't figure out why I just couldn't just get it over with and ask you..."

"Get it over with?"

"Ok, poor choice of words. The thing is, I need time alone to figure out what I really want in life…"

"Oh my God… you're breaking up with me!"

"Well, yes…" Rocky never got to finish. Marie stood up and began pelting him with her purse. For a tiny little compact, it did a lot of damage. The first couple of blows took out his index finger, somewhere around the middle of the attack, she cracked his nose.

"You slimy, pathetic, miserable, son of a bitch!" she howled. "I wait two years for you to break up with me?"

"Ow! Marie, hold on! Ow! I'm just trying to be honest..."

"Two years! Two freakin years of my life!" She yelled, striking him with the purse to emphasize every other word. " I had sex with you damnit!" Her fists clenched by her side and she was stomping her feet. " Do you have any idea how many hours I spent on my knees in Penance after Confession!" She smacked him again with the purse.

"OW! What the hell do you have in that thing? A brick?"

"Cell phone!" She screeched. He stood up and Marie pelted him, by chance or by design, across the crotch. He doubled over against the bench.

A few passerby's had stopped to watch and a one or two of the women cheered. Nice, Rocky thought, great community spirit. Let's all have a good laugh at the blue Ranger getting beat up by a girl. Marie landed one last blow against the back of his head while he was doubled over and stormed off.

"Ok," Rocky muttered. "That went well."

* * *

Trini wasn't sure what was going on, but she assumed it was all part of her security clearance, so she settled back in her chair and allowed the woman in front of her to grill her with more questions. She was a spindly woman. To say she was middle aged was being kind. She had sharp features, sharp glasses, and a sharp edge to her voice. She wore a pressed white lab coat with her ID badge around her neck. There was a large number seven in the center and Trini noticed that the bar code was far more prominent than either her name or photo.

"What languages do you speak?" she asked curtly, not looking at Trini, but writing on the clipboard in front of her.

"Vietnamese, French, English, Swiss French, and a bit of Swedish, but really not enough to converse fluently."

The woman tossed her pen rudely on the clipboard. Looking above her glasses with exasperation, she said," I could care less what Earth languages you speak. You're applying for a high security position in an intergalactic building. What _other_ languages do you speak?"

Trini had a sinking feeling. The woman made her feel uncomfortable to say the least. Billy had led her to believe the position was already hers.

"I'm sorry, Billy didn't mention any of this when he..."  
"Billy?" the woman cut her off.

"Billy Cranston, he said I was to report to work this…"

"Dr. William Cranston doesn't do employee interviews, I do." The woman said firmly. "Name dropping won't work with me young lady. And I hardly consider the use of such a childish nickname appropriate when referring to one of our senior scientists. Do you?"

"Alright." Trini said simply. But it wasn't all right. She didn't understand this at all. She wasn't about to divulge her status as a retired Ranger to this woman, which was what she was obviously trying to get her to do. This was all very strange.

"Do you speak any other languages or not?"

"I just don't see…"

"I don't see how you think you can waltz in here and assume a position you are not in the least bit qualified for." The woman hissed, slapping the papers on her clipboard for emphasis. "You have no post graduate education, you have no adult work background, no science background. What, if anything, makes you think you're entitled to even be in this office speaking to me about a position?"

"I…"

"Excuse me Dr. Franzstien." A voice called from the doorway. Trini turned and saw a young woman dressed in gray uniform. She was obviously not a woman from Earth. She had the body of a woman, and the facial features of a woman, but her face was also, well it was a little catlike. In fact, two very catlike ears peeked out from her tousled brown hair. She glanced over at Trini, eyes twinkling above her freckled face, and Trini lowered her eyes, a bit embarrassed that she'd been staring.

"I'm occupied Dr. Manx. I'll be happy to assist you after I have completed this interview."

"Ah, I see," Dr. Manx said, "I was just hoping to steal Dr. Cranston's assistant from you and get her started up in his lab."

"Dr. Cranston doesn't have an assistant." Dr. Franzstien said waspishly. "The last I heard he refused to even consider the idea. All laboratory applicants go through _me_, not Dr. Cranston."

"Alright." Manx said slowly. "I'll just leave you to your, uh, interview then."

Dr. Franzstien huffed, but didn't respond.

As she closed the door to the office Dr. Manx called back, "_Hang on, try not to answer too many questions. I'll be back with help_."

It took Trini a moment to realize that she had spoken to her in Eltaran.

"_Thank you_." She responded in the same language. Manx smiled and closed the door.

"What did she just say to you?" Dr. Franzstien demanded.

"She told me the equivalent of hang in there." Trini said honestly, "I told her thank you."

"And just what language was that?"

"It was uh…"

"Well?"

When Trini didn't answer, she took the forms off her clipboard, the forms Trini had spent a good two hours filling out, and fed them through a shredder. "I'm terribly sorry," She said with more than a little asperity. "This is obviously a huge waste of my time. You are not qualified in any way, shape, or form to even be allowed through the front gate, let alone into an interview room. If Dr. Cranston thinks he can simply bring you in here as a…"

"That is enough!" a harsh voice barked from the doorway. Trini jumped and was astounded to see the voice was Billy's. Not the Billy she knew, but the cold, menacing shape of a man out for blood. Trini's hands gripped the sides of her chair as he marched in and shoved away the empty second chair beside her.

"How dare you interfere with my lab again." Billy growled, slamming his hand down on Dr. Franzstien's desk.

"How dare you override my authority and attempt to bring in some unknown...person…off the street!" Franzstien shrieked back. "She's not qualified to have gate access let alone a lab card. If you think for one millisecond I'm going to let you bring in some pretty little no-brain to satisfy your…"

"You have overstepped your bounds for the last time, I'm taking this all the way to the…"

"_All_ laboratory staff go through me!" She hissed. "You have absolutely no authority..."

"You have no authority were my lab is concerned." Billy countered back.

"I have authority to staff _all_ NASADA labs." She spit.

"Your _authority_," Jason said coldly and far too calmly from the doorway, "Is limited to levels seven and below. Anything related to level eight," he paused for emphasis, "Is our concern." He moved forward into the small interview room as he spoke, Tommy close behind him. Trini didn't know what was going on. All three of her friends were looked absolutely furious. Tommy looked downright deadly. These were not the friends she knew, these were men to be very, very afraid of, yet Dr. Franzstien seemed non-pulsed.

"Are you asking me to believe that this…person, belongs to level eight?"

"She's one of us." Tommy affirmed coldly.

"And absolutely none of your concern." Jason finished.

Somewhere during the conversation, Dr. Manx had slipped back into the room and behind Trini's chair. She gently put one hand on each of Trini's arms and pulled her up and out of her chair. She led her out of the room, sighing dramatically as she pulled the door shut. From behind it, Trini could here voices yelling again. Dr. Manx grinned.

"I am so sorry." She said smiling. "William asked me to be on the lookout for you, and I got busy with a project and..."

"William?" Trini asked.

Dr. Manx nodded, "Dr. Cranston." She said. "We were hoping to get you past Dr. Frankenstein in there before she even knew you were here. Her spies are everywhere though. "Come on," she urged Trini forward and to a side elevator.

"This is a lab card," She said, holding up a plastic identification tag. It looked exactly like the identification tag Dr. Franzstien had, except there was a large numeral eight in the center. "You need to use them to access just about every door or elevator on the NASADA complex. To access the higher levels, the computer will also ask you to verify anything from fingerprints to DNA analysis." Dr. Manx swiped her card through the lock on the elevator and ushered her inside.

The computer immediately asked her to confirm Trini's presence and Manx spent a few seconds answering various security codes.

"It's because you're not registered yet." Dr. Manx explained. The computer's going to do a DNA scan on both of us now. The next time you come through, it will be a lot faster."

"This is all very confusing." Trini said.

Dr. Manx gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sure Frankenstein didn't make it any easier. It's not you. She despises anything to do with level eight. She was top dog until we moved in a few years ago."

"What does the eight mean?" Trini asked as the elevator began descending.

Dr. Manx grinned at her. "Power Rangers."

* * *

Carri was exhausted. She knew she had to get out of bed and go back to Billy's lab, but she just couldn't do it. She had an appointment with a real estate agent at seven that evening. Would anyone really notice if she just stayed in bed until then? She rolled over and pulled the covers close. She was nice and warm…and comfortable…and so very tired…

She had been awake all Saturday, all Saturday night, all Sunday, and most of Monday morning. Adrenaline had fueled most of it; that and having a new sense of energy through her morpher. She grinned at the sight of her new communicator on her wrist. Zeo powers were sweet. She was going to love being Zeo Two. The past few days of trying to get everything ready for Rita and Zedd's next attack had been a whirlwind. It wasn't just the morphers and zords they had to prepare, they all had to get their personal lives organized as well. Jason didn't think they'd be at it for more than a few weeks, a month at best, but Rocky said the last time Rita had come to town, she'd stayed years.

Rocky had moved into Jason's apartment that morning, so she had packed up all of her stuff and Kim's suitcase out of the second bedroom and moved it into a nearby residence hotel the night before. It was a good, temporary solution until she could find a condo of her own. There were several for sale in Jason's complex, the market was definitely not as hot as it had been even just a year ago. With Rita and Zedd back, prices were expected to plummet. At least, that was what the realtor had told her.

She told Jason she'd rather buy than rent. She had the money and real estate was a generally good investment. If buyers were eager to sell fast, it was a good time to purchase. She could always rent it later if things turned around and she decided to go elsewhere. Who knew what life was going to bring?

She had finally crawled into her hotel bed around ten-thirty that morning; on Tommy's orders that she was no good to him as a zombie. She hadn't protested. It was now just past four in the afternoon. Her alarm clock had long since given up on her. She'd hit the snooze button so many times it wasn't even trying to wake her up anymore.

He cell phone rang and she groaned, rolling over and fumbling around with her hand on the side table to find it. She brought it close to her eyes and squinted at the caller ID. "Damn," she said, recognizing her father's production office. Her written resignation from _Boutique Style_, her television show, had hit the fan promptly at six AM eastern time. She had spent hours on the phone with her father, who was also the co-producer. She had a three year extension contract waiting for her in New York. He was furious that she refused to get her butt on the next plane and sign it.

She set her phone to vibrate and tossed it on the table. It rebounded off the synthetic wood and dropped to the floor below. A few seconds later it buzzed and vibrated around on the carpet. Carri threw the covers off with a growl and scooped it up. She waited until the call went to message, then opened the phone and shut it off. The only people she wanted to talk to could page her through her communicator.

She tossed the phone back on the table and stretched. As long as she was up, she might as well get showered and dressed.

* * *

"As you can see, it's a bit crowded in here." Dr. Manx said as she finished her tour of Billy's laboratory.

"It's a disaster." Trini commented. Billy had always been so organized; this was beyond chaos. Dr, Manx grinned at her.

"William won't let anyone in here except me and I refuse to clean anything. There's a little robot scurrying around somewhere, he keeps the dust from ruining the electronics, but that's about it."

Trini smiled, she liked Dr. Manx, but hearing her call Billy "William" was going to take some getting used to. Billy emerged from the other room then, scowling and muttering under his breath. Tommy was next, looking way too tired, and Jason followed, grinning like a bulldog that'd just eaten a toy poodle. Jason dropped into the oversized chair and pulled the footrest up.

"Well, that was productive." He said.

Tommy rubbed his eyes and sat down in an empty chair, he was going to have to rest soon, even for just ten minutes. He'd hung around on the chance that Kim would come back today. Now he wondered how quickly he could slip away.

"Billy I'm so sorry." Trini began.

"Why?" he asked grumpily, he was as tired as the others and having another run-in with Dr. Franzstien was more than he'd wanted to deal with today. "You did absolutely nothing wrong. Matilda overstepped herself again. She knows it and I know it… Countering Kat's order to refer you directly to us and then intercepting you herself. She's gone too far. I'm going to demand she be transferred out of here."

"Kat?" Trini asked.

"Katherine." Dr. Manx said, indicating herself.

"You go by Kat?"

Dr. Manx grinned at her. "I like it." She said, tugging one ear. "People don't have a problem remembering it."

"Your never gonna get Frankenstein transferred outta here Billy." Jason said. "We've tried…I dunno, a hundred times?"

"I agree," Tommy added, "She knows way too much. They'll keep her where she can be relatively managed."

"Better the enemy I can see…" Dr. Manx said simply.

"Then I'll leave damnit." He snapped, throwing a piece of electronics on the counter. It smashed into several pieces. The whole reason he'd left Aquitar was to regain control over his life. If he didn't have any more control over things here, why the hell was he staying?

"Easy man." Tommy said "She's not worth getting worked up over. Trini's down here with us now and she's left stewing in the dark."

Trini had had enough. The stress of the last few days had finally caught up with her. First coming home to find her husband was throwing her out, not knowing what her rights were or where she was going, lost in a foreign country, flying home to her mother, the reunion, Rita and Zedd's return, meeting with the divorce lawyer, it was all too much. She sat down on a metal stool and for the first time in her life burst into tears in front of a crowd of people.

Billy was by her side in a second "I'm sorry." He said gently, putting an arm around her and rubbing her back. "I didn't take into consideration how grueling your experience with Dr. Franzstien must have been."

Trini could only shake she head as the sobs rocked her. "I'm sorry." She gulped, hiding her face behind her hands. This was unacceptable; she had to get control over herself.

Jason and Tommy both moved closer in silent support and Kat appeared with a box of tissues. Unfortunately that only made the sobs harder. Billy pried her hands loose from her face and wrapped his arms around her. She clung to him. It wasn't what he'd expected. Trini was always very reserved and very strong. He couldn't remember her crying since they were children.

He had known her since she was eight years old, since her family had moved to Angle Grove. She had been the shy child in the neighborhood. The one the kids ignored because she looked and talked differently. Billy had been a geek. They avoided him because he was as socially unacceptable as she was. They'd been lonely little kindred spirits. He had been as grateful for her friendship as she was for his and the friendship had remained solid until high school. Even after she'd become relatively popular, she gently steered him into her circle of friends. Translating for him, making him acceptable. He'd never forget it. He was going to protect her now, just as she had protected him in school years before.

"I'm going to strangle that witch." Jason growled.

Trini shook her head against Billy's shoulder. "No," she said. Taking a shaking breath and forcing herself back under control. "It's not that. That wasn't so bad. Confusing, irritating, but not horrible."

"Then what?" Billy asked "Your meeting this morning?" He had procured an international divorce lawyer for her. He was paying the man a bloody fortune to be an attack dog for her. If something wasn't right, he wanted to know.

"He was wonderful Billy, thank you. Honestly, thank you for everything. It's just all catching up with me. Geirge's attorney had already been in touch Mr. Shills by the time I arrived. He doesn't think it will take very long, Geirge wants it over as fast as possible." She stopped, tears overflowing again.

"I'm sorry Trini." Billy said, hugging her again. He really was. He didn't want her hurting. Especially over a stupid fool who didn't deserve her. Trini's sobs resumed. It was as if the dam had broken and she just couldn't hold it back anymore.

Jason edged closer and put a hand on her back in support.

"Want me to beat him up?" He asked. Trini laughed in-between sobs. She had known Jason almost as long as she had known Billy, since Jr. High anyway.

"Yes." She said, clinging to Billy's shoulder. "I want you to really hurt him, I want him to suffer." She laughed. She was pretty sure Jason wasn't serious. It certainly couldn't hurt to entertain the idea. Hysterical laughter was better than hysterical crying. It felt good.

"Consider it done then."

"No!" Trini said sitting up. "No. I'm not serious. She can have him, really. I don't ever want to see him again." She took a deep shaking breath and let it out. They'd all know soon anyway. The Ranger community was a small one.

"She's six months pregnant." She said flatly. "He's known for months he was going to leave me, and he just kept letting me talk about infertility programs and adoption as if nothing was wrong."

"I'm sorry." Tommy offered. He'd never met Trini's husband. He was in South America on a dig when she'd married. If he ever did see him, he was afraid he'd punch first and ask for id later. Trini had been such a sweet girl; she didn't deserve this.

"The man's an asshole." Jason said, and all in the room agreed with him. "Honestly Trini, I only worked with him on the Youth Peace Council for a few months, but he seriously didn't deserve you."

"What's going on? Kim asked, walking into the lab. All three guys and Kat were huddled around Trini. "Are you ok sweetie?"

Trini nodded and gave a weak smile, "The boys and Dr. Manx are taking good care of me... I had my first meeting with my divorce lawyer this morning." She explained.

"How about I take you to an early dinner," Kim offered, "There's nothing in the world that can't be cured with a good glass of wine and a little chocolate…at least that's what my mother keeps insisting."

"I only just got here." Trini said. "It's supposed to be my first day."

"I insist." Billy added. "Give me a minute to get your lab card and then Kim can whisk you away." He stood up, taking her hands in his and pulling her up out of her chair. He waved away her protests.

"I need to sleep some. I have nothing for you to do in the next few hours. Go with Kim and then get a good night's rest. We'll start again tomorrow."

"I'm going to head back to the hotel." Tommy added. If Kim was going to busy herself with Trini, he might as well go rest. He'd corner her later. "We done here?"

Billy nodded.

"You still at the Grand?" Kim asked.

"No I'm over at the Resident's place with you and Carri."

"I'm in a hotel?" Kim asked, looking at Jason. "You kicked me out already?"

"See what happens when you disappear for 12 hours?"

"Everything go ok?" Tommy asked her.

She shrugged. "Elemi wasn't exactly thrilled, but it worked out."

"I'll bet he wasn't." Jason laughed. Kim shot him an annoyed look.

"I found a replacement, transferred the power, and now the Zeo crystal seems to like me a little better."

"Then we're in business," Jason said. "All right folks, I'm outta here. If you need me," He tapped his communicator, "just page."

"Wait a minute." Kim said, following him out of the lab, "Did anyone at least leave me a key?"

* * *

"But when can we attack the city?" Rita whined.

Teeg closed her eyes and willed herself patience. This Rita was far more difficult than the last two versions combined. It was the material she'd had to work with.

"When I tell you to." Teeg hissed. "Not a second before. You two are here to keep Kimberly occupied for as long as your incompetent little brains can manage it. I want her frustrated, not crushed." She paused, drawing herself up to her most imposing height. "I will say this one more time, it is not my wish that you conquer the city. Use excessive force and risk my displeasure."

"Yes, your highness." Zedd bowed to her. "We live only to serve you faithfully."

"But I wanna destroy the city!" Rita whined.

"Shut up you over grown rag doll!" Zedd warned. At least he was intelligent enough to realize Teeg was not a mistress to aggravate. "We will attack when we are told to and not a moment before."

Teeg nodded her approval regally . She raised her staff and was gone in a burst of light.

"Zedd," Rita turned to him, "Why won't you stand up to her?"

"Because I have an ounce of sense in my head." He snapped. "We'll do as we're told until Teeg retreats to her sector of the galaxy. Then, and only then, will we be free to destroy the city… and every Ranger in it."

"Oh Zedd!" Rita exclaimed hugging his arm and kissing his shoulder loudly several times. "I just love a man who knows his own mind!"

"Get off of me witch!" Zedd yelled, trying in vain to shake her from his arm. This was going to be a very, very long campaign.

* * *

"So," Kim said as she picked up her fork and began to eat her entrée. "Tell me about your morning with Mr. Shills."

Trini shrugged, toying with her food. "It was draining. The good news is that I'm entitled to compensation. We've been married for just over five years. The bad news is that the house belongs to his mother, not him. She inherited it through her aunt and it'll go to him when she dies. But I really didn't think the court would give it to me anyways, not with me being a foreign national."

Kimberly nodded her head. International divorce was a tricky thing. She worried about her mother being in France. He marriage to her stepfather seemed to be a solid one, but still. Kim's parent's divorce had been messy. The court had become a battleground, with both kids square in the middle. Her father hadn't really wanted custody of her. He'd wanted control of the trust fund her grandfather had left her. It was a heartbreak she'd never really recovered from. She understood how disappointed you could be when someone you loved turned on you.

"Anyway," Trini continued, "Once we file the final papers, it should only take about two weeks."

"Two weeks? Is that it?"

Trini nodded, "As long as neither of us contest it. Geirge wants it done as quickly as possible. My attorney says that puts me in a good position… Apparently Geirge is furious I hired an attorney."

"What, you were just supposed to roll over and play nice?"

Trini smiled sadly. "I don't know what he expected me to do. It's like I was married to a stranger for five and a half years. I don't know who he is and he obviously didn't care who I was…She's six months pregnant."

Kim stopped mid bite and looked up. Trini nodded.

"Nice." Kim said.

"He knew. Kim he knew she was pregnant for more than four months and yet he came home and crawled in bed with me every night. He knew he was going to leave me and he said absolutely nothing." Trini paused, she wanted so much to open up to someone, but it was so humiliating. "We had sex the night before he kicked me out." She confessed quietly.

Kim put her fork down and reached out to hold her friend's hand. "He's a bastard." Kim said. "It's not your fault Trini, it's him. What decent man does something like that?"

"I thought I was so in love with him, but he's been out of my life for only two weeks and I don't even miss him. I actually feel relieved to sleep alone at night." Trini shook her head. "It's like my whole life has been one big lie. Looking back, there were so many signs that I just ignored. I was so focused on trying to have a baby the last few years. I was consumed with it. I thought we both were."

Kim thought privately that Trini's ex was a little too consumed with the fertility thing, given the circumstances. She'd thought men like that didn't exist anymore. Maybe she was as blind as Trini. Elemi had never been a faithful lover, but the difference was that he never pretended to be. He was a product of his culture and Kimberly had always known what that meant. It didn't make him a bad person; he was just someone she couldn't live with. "Don't beat yourself up," She said, "You're a woman, and a very loving one. We women ignore a lot in the name of love."

"I had just had an appointment with a fertility specialist the day before. He told us my sonogram and test results indicated I would probably never naturally conceive. I think that's why Geirge acted when he did. He wanted her baby to be born with his name since he might not get one with me."

"At least you're done with him." Kim said firmly, "You can get on with your life now."

Trini nodded, but didn't say anything for a while. Her friends had made it so easy for her. She would have been completely lost if she hadn't gone to the reunion. She would have shut herself in her parent's house and never emerged.

They had all been there for her, even more than her own family. Billy had done the most. He'd gone out of his way to reassure her. He'd given her a job, insurance, paid for her lawyer, loaned her the money for a small car. Everything had seemed to fall into place this morning, but now she was scared again.

"I'm not sure how done with him I am." Trini said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"Dr. Manx gave me a physical this afternoon as part of my security clearance."

Kim nodded, "That's standard. The medical technology on base is far more advanced than anything they have on the outside. It's a good thing."

"The test results came back just before we left for dinner."

Kim's stomach sank like she'd swallowed a heavy weight. "And?" She asked.

"I'm pregnant." Trini said, stunned. Then she burst into tears.

* * *

Carri let herself into Jason's apartment just after nine in the evening. It had been a fairly productive day. There were five units available in Jason's complex and all five owners were eager to sell before Rita destroyed something and sent prices plummeting. In the end, she'd written a contract on the end unit, down the sidewalk from Jason's. It was a two story, and way bigger than she needed, but it had the best view and it was the closest to Jase.

As she walked in, the two guys were watching some inane program on television. She made a detour into the kitchen and grabbed a soda in the refrigerator.

"You find one?" Jason called, referring to the condos she had toured.

"I made a ridiculously low offer, we'll have to see what they counter with."

"Carri, in California you up bid. You don't lowball."

"The real estate agent says sellers are panicking with Rita and Zedd back. They're afraid home prices are going to plummet like the last time…Oh my God," Carri said, stepping into the family room and getting a good look at Rocky's face. "Did I miss an attack?"

Jason snorted. "Not unless you count friendly fire."

"I'm not sure how friendly it was." Rocky muttered.

"What's going on? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Rocky said. I just had a little run in with a very tiny leather purse."

"What?" Carri asked. Rocky's nose was bandaged in some sort of splint. It looked kind of like the plastic one the doctors give you after surgery, but on close inspection, it had tiny little fiber optic lights twinkling all over it. His right index finger was also bandaged with a similar contraption.

Jason sorted again. "His girlfriend didn't take it so well when he broke up with her this afternoon."

"What?" Carri asked again, turning to look at Rocky. "I thought… well, I mean Kat said…I thought you two were really serious."

Rocky shrugged uncomfortably.

"She was serious about beating the shit out of him." Jason laughed.

"Oh come on, Jason. She's a girl, she was upset, I'm not gonna fight her."

"No, you just stood by and let her take you down. What belt are you again?"

"Hey, Carri interrupted. "Be nice." She told Jason. "He's your roommate."

"Whatever." Jason said. This was going to be interesting. He knew Carri was interested in Rocky and he also suspected the interest was more than mutual. Depending on how long this new team was together, things should prove fairly amusing for a while.

"What's that on your nose?" Carri asked.

"Bone knitter." Rocky answered. "Billy hooked me up a few hours ago, by morning I should be fine. I won't even have a bruise."

"She broke your nose?"

"Yeah." Jason laughed. "Who needs Rita? You better hope that old hag isn't recruiting new henchmen."

Carri was stunned, and surprisingly more than a little panicked. She and Jason had just decided the night before to end their "relationship" and move on. Now Rocky, the guy that had made her realize she needed to get out in the world and find a real relationship, was single? It was either too good to be true, or Jason had set her up.

"Did you know about this?" she asked.

"What?" Jason asked innocently, "Bone knitters? I use 'em all the time."

"No you idiot, about Rocky breaking up with Marie?"

"Hello," Rocky said, "Person you're talking about sitting right here."

Carri nodded at him and then turned a questioning eye back on Jason. The rat had the audacity to grin at her.

"Yeah," Jason said sarcastically, "Guys sit around all day and talk about their relationships."

"Actually, I did ask his advice when we were packing up my stuff last night." Rocky admitted. "Why?"

Carri gave a short, exasperated breath and starred accusingly at Jason.

"No reason." She said, a blush climbing into her cheeks. Jason grinned. The doorbell rang and Carri turned to answer it.

"No, that's ok." Jason said, hopping up and grabbing his jacket, but Carri had already opened the door.

"Who are you?" The surprised blond on the other side of the door asked.

"Rachel this is Carri, Car this is Rachel." Jason said in a rush, grabbing the keys to his Harley and two helmets off the table. He stopped to kiss Carri loudly on the cheek as he scooted past her out the door.

"You're leaving? Why'd you insist I come over here then?"

Jason grinned at her. "Don't wait up." He said.

"Is that your sister?" The blond asked as he stepped out the door.

"Something like that."

"What the hell just happened?" Rocky asked, walking into the front hallway. It looked to him like Jason had just skipped out the door for a date with another woman and Carri was just left standing there with her mouth open. Carri turned toward him and crossed her arms in front of her.

"We've just been set up." She answered.

* * *

Kim returned the hotel just after ten in the evening. Jason had given her the key card that Carri had left with him and she sat down on a nearby bench to dig it out of her purse. She and Trini had talked for hours. She was scared, but absolutely determined to keep her baby. Trini had been trying for years to get pregnant. She wanted a baby more than anything in the world. She viewed this development as a miracle; just a poorly timed one.

There was a reason there were so few female Power Rangers in the human galaxies. Zordon's original coins had the side effect of practically sterilizing females. It was a security measure. An ancient form of birth control, which insured a female warrior wouldn't put an unborn child in harm's way. The side effects generally wore off after a few years without a morpher, but years were a relative commodity and humans on Earth aged much faster than they did on other planets.

Both Kim and Trini, who had possessed original coins, would always have problems conceiving. They didn't have thirty or forty years to recalibrate. Well, Kim mused, she might. Trini had left so early in the campaign against Rita, she hadn't had the opportunity or the access to the medical knowledge Kim had. She hadn't understood why she only ovulated one or two times a year, Kim did. For both of them, getting pregnant without assistance was next to impossible, not that it hadn't been known to happen.

The sound of the waves lapping against the lake beach drifted her way and she dropped the key back in her purse and removed her shoes. She needed to clear her mind. It wasn't talk of babies that disturbed her. It was that Trini so desperately wanted it. Kimberly was twenty-eight years old, the exact same age as Trini, shouldn't she want the same thing? She really didn't know.

Twenty-eight was hardly ancient by any standards, especially since Dulcea and Lerigot both estimated her Muirantian life cycle somewhere between eight and ten thousand Earth years. It was more of a realization that her peers were growing up. Kim didn't feel grown up. She wasn't a child, but was she mature enough to have her own child? When did you know you were done growing? Childhood through young adulthood seemed to blend together, there was no clear line between where one had ended and the other began. Was that how all life's transitions would be? Would she always simply look back after the fact and realize that she had passed through another phase of life and never realized it?

Most of her friends were now married and having babies or even done having kids. She was starting hear a lot of jokes about being and old maid. It was completely and totally ridiculous, but on the other hand…

Marriage to Elemi had been completely out of the question. It never occurred to her to stay married to him. But did she want to be married? At one time that was all she ever dreamed about. The fact that many of her married friends were now divorced or divorcing was testament in itself that happy ever after wasn't always a reality. But the thought still enchanted her. It was the fairytale aspect, the last little cling to childhood.

As a teen, she had dreamt of growing up and marrying Tommy; she'd even had their children named. Now, as an adult, that seemed incredibly silly. The real life man was very different than the boy yet, try as she might, she just couldn't imagine herself married with children with anyone else she'd met. Perhaps it might be nice…one day...if she could meet someone who loved her enough to overlook what she was…and who she could love back. Again, her thoughts drifted back to Elemi and she shoved them aside. Her heart ached painfully, but it wasn't for her ex-husband. It was for the innocence of a love lost a long time ago that could never again be recovered. That all consuming kind of love that had eluded her in her adulthood.

She stepped out into the water and let the waves wash over her ankles. Here she was, in Angle Grove again. She was back as a Ranger with Tommy, Billy, Jason and Rocky. She didn't feel any older. Yet for all the similarities, it wasn't the same. They were different people than they had been ten years ago. The town was the same, the villain was the same, even the powers were pretty much the same, but the Rangers behind the uniforms weren't. It was like she'd been thrust into an alternate universe.

Trini's biggest problem ten years ago had been that she was too shy to date. Now she was getting a divorce and contemplating raising a child on her own. Kim's biggest problem back then had been her parent's divorce and hiding the fact she was having sex from her mother. Now her responsibilities were so awesome they were mind-boggling. Yet here she was, playing pink Ranger again against Rita. It was a contradiction; the same, yet different. It was de ja vu. The feeling that she'd been here before, yet the differences begged to the contrary.

Up the beach a ways, she caught sight of a figure sitting on the sandy beach, silhouetted against the moonlight. She grinned, knowing it was Tommy without really being able to see him. She picked up her pace and veered in his direction. He'd seen her, and wasn't surprised when she dropped down beside him.

"And I thought I was the only insomniac." She said playfully.

He shrugged. He didn't sleep much anymore. A few hours here and there during the down times, never more than five or ten minute catnaps during the rush hours. His body simply didn't need it anymore. He'd returned to the hotel, fallen asleep almost immediately, only to wake up three hours later completely refreshed.

"Sleep wastes a lot of planning time." He said, tossing a pile of stones out into the waves one by one. They skipped out over the water in little hops.

Kimberly nodded. She understood. As a teenager, her body demanded twelve to fourteen hours at a stretch. Now, it seemed she was lucky to sleep five hours straight without waking up. Part of it was her powers, her metabolism was different and her body more efficient. Part of it was just growing up. Maybe she was more of an adult than she thought.

"You think the team is ready?" She asked.

Tommy shrugged. "This is Rita and Zedd." He replied. "Been there, done that. The question is, how much better equipped are they? Are they more powerful than before? Less powerful than before? Do we break the rules and go on the offensive and get this thing over and done with or do we fight the good the fight?"

"Never escalate a fight unless forced to." Kim said, repeating the oath they had both taken.

Tommy nodded and threw another rock forcefully across the water. "I want to get on with this." He muttered, a slight edge creeping into his voice. Waiting was the hardest.

"Teeg will see them well armored." Kim said, recognizing the frustration in his voice.

"You want to decide to confide in me?" He asked.

"What I can."

"That's a comfort." He said sarcastically, throwing another rock from his pile.

Kimberly watched it skip across the water. It wasn't that simple. It wasn't a matter of just letting him in. There were so many secrets. Secrets about secrets. Secrets that weren't even hers to share.

"Tommy, there's so much I'm involved with, it's..." She stopped, searching for a way to explain. "I wouldn't even know where to begin. I don't know what I can explain, leave out, or might even forget to mention."

"I don't need to know everything," He said, "I just need to know what I'm up against here. I need you to trust me. I don't need you lying to me."

"I never lied to you."

"You didn't tell the truth. You did a stupid play on words…_at the moment_, what the hell was that all about?"

"You want me to open up to a room full of people, who definitely don't need to be involved in this, that I'm back as a morphing Ranger? You want me to put them in danger for no reason?"

"They're already in danger." He countered. "We've had to reorganize. Why? Because apparently someone doesn't want you messing around with something. What? I dunno because you won't tell me."

"They weren't in danger at that moment in time." She said defensively.

He let out and exasperated sigh. She was right, but he wasn't going to let the argument die. "You have got to trust me." He said again.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"For a start, why are the Nova's after the coins?"

She shifted on the sand, bringing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them.

"The coins were made from a magic key that Zordon used to lock away a very bad inter-dimensional being named Demonking. Bad is an understatement. Think Zordon's doppelganger. Zordon melted the key down and created six coins. If his forces find the coins, they can re-mold the key and let him loose."

"Nice, Tommy said. "So the Nova's are out to stop this Teeg and her cronies from collecting the coins?"

Kim nodded. "Basically," She said.

"Why does Teeg want to keep you here on Earth away from the Nova's?"

"That's a bit more complicated." She answered truthfully. "Can I just promise to tell you later after I think about how I want to answer?"

"Kim..." Tommy groaned.

"No, I'm serious. That answer involves the confidences of everyone from Zordon, to Dulcea, to Lerigot. It basically has to do with my Muirantian powers. How I was able to tell Zordon survived the shattering of his energy tube."

"You honestly believe that?" Tommy asked. He, more than anyone else, wanted to believe those rumors, but they were nothing more than legend. He'd spent years investigating them and come up with nothing. They were no more than a final chapter in Zordon's legacy. "It just wasn't possible Kim. It's wishful thinking, a fairy tale ending for the story tellers and an ominous warning to the other side that good can't be defeated."

"To those who possess the Great Power, all things are possible." She said firmly.

"Can we just agree to disagree on that one?" Tommy asked.

She nodded. "What else do you want to know?"

"I want to know why you're so evasive about being a red Ninjetti Ranger, and, from what Jason says, a red morphing Ranger at one time."

Kim smiled, that one was much easier to answer. "There aren't many female Rangers." She said, choosing her words carefully. "Most Ranger teams believe female Rangers are legends. Those that accept them as fact believe that female Rangers are the softer sex."

"That's not the case on Earth." Tommy said.

"No, Earth has had some strong pinks, but the rest of the galaxy doesn't believe it. Pinks have a horrible reputation of being silly, prissy, and selfish." Sort of like she was when she first started, Kim thought wryly. "Not everywhere, but on most worlds the running joke is that there is only one reason to have a pink Ranger… to keep the red Ranger happy."

Tommy grinned, he'd heard of that. At her frown, he erased his smile. "I've heard the saying, and worse," he admitted, "but that doesn't explain why you won't claim red status."

"Because if I claim red status," she said, "It would erase all the work I've done as a pink. My accomplishments wouldn't be a credit to the pink uniform; everyone will assume I was always a red. It will be as if my tenure in pink never existed. Everything I accomplish will be attributed to the red uniform."

"I suppose I understand your reasoning." He said. "It seems like you're mincing words though."

"No," she shook her head firmly. "The Nova's had never worked with a female Ranger before. Most of them are Rangers from other teams and still they had never worked with a female. There are female commanders, female leaders, but no female Rangers. Even the yellows are male." She stopped for a second, thinking.

"The Nova's now believe that pink is just a female shade of red. Pink isn't a color to snicker at, it's a command color. I had equal rank with Elemi; we led together. My successor isn't in a position to command, she's way too young, but you can bet Elemi's going to train her to. That's an opportunity she would never have had before me."

Kimberly paused, looking directly at him in the dim light. This was important to her and she wanted to make sure he understood. "When those Rangers grow up and leave the Novas, most will retire. But some will stay and train new Rangers. When those teams emerge, pink will be trained to lead."

"So you consider yourself the Susan B. Anthony of the Ranger world huh?"

"That's not funny."

"I'm sorry. I understand what you're trying to do. I agree, the girls don't get much of a chance to take the lead, and most are very capable Rangers. I just don't know if it'll make the difference you think it will."

"Dimetria and Dulcea agree with me." She said defensively.

"I can see that they would." He said. He hoped she was right, but silently he thought she was more likely to be written into the Ranger histories as a phenomenon instead of the norm. There was a reason there hadn't been a pink Ranger on his last team.

They were silent for a long time after that. Both lost in their own thoughts. The water continued to roll in waves to the sandy beach and the moon above had begun to slowly wane.

"Do you know where we're sitting?" Tommy asked quietly, still skipping rocks out into the water. Kim looked around. The public beach where they had gathered as kids in the summer was a little way up the beach to her right. To her left was row after row of condos and hotels.

"The public beach is down there," she said, pointing. "But all this up here," she turned and pointed the other way, "This is all new."

Tommy nodded. "Right about here were the woods we'd sneak off to."

Kim snorted, she couldn't help herself. The snort turned into a giggle. "I remember." She said, grinning. He grinned back. They had spent many moonlit hours sneaking around those woods. Woods that were now long gone.

"Rather fitting it's a hotel now." She said dryly and he chuckled, sharing her memories.

"You ever sneak out here with anybody else?" She asked. She hadn't meant specifically with Katherine, but she was his only other high school girlfriend.

"No." he said honestly. "This place always reminded me of you. It never felt right." It was true, but what he didn't add was that Katherine had been appalled by the idea and flatly refused to sneak out with him anywhere.

She nodded. Her outdoor adventures had ended with him as well.

"Up there," she said, indicating the public beach, "looks just the same. But if you turn around, it's all grown up and different."

"Kind of like us." He said, and threw another rock out into the water.

* * *

Inside the fully restored Lunar Palace, Zedd leaned contentedly back on his throne.

"Tomorrow?" Rita asked hopefully.

"Sunrise." Zedd affirmed.

"Which monster do we choose first? It should be a good one to mark the occasion." "Prepare to send the Alligrater."

"Oh goodie!" Rita squealed. She danced and skipped around the throne room. "Sleep well Rangers! Tonight just might be your last chance for a while!" She cackled gleefully and Zedd placed both hands across his ears.

"Will you stop that racket! He yelled.

Teeg watched Rita and Zedd from her viewing globe with a vague hint of disgust. Those two would need management. She had no intention of doing it herself, she simply needed to think of the right creature. She needed someone bright enough not to interfere, but dumb enough to follow orders without question. She cursed, shutting off the globe.

All she needed was to keep Kimberly occupied for a few months. Just long enough to trace down the remaining coins and keys. The two coins below intrigued her, but something held her from taking action, it was simply too easy. She would wait. Once she had all the locations mapped, she would begin the process of collection.

Rangers, on the whole, didn't bother Teeg. The power knew she'd killed enough of them in her tenure. However Kimberly and the Novas were annoying, like a little fleabite that wouldn't go away. She was tired of them.

Teeg wasn't lazy by any means, but she resented having to race through a job. Kimberly made her feel as though she had to hurry and Teeg would allow no one to rush her.

She allowed herself the luxury of a frown. Kimberly would not be an easy force to destroy. Even though she was a child, like it or not, she was also a developing sorceress; one with Dulcea's fingerprints all over her. Dulcea must be as ancient by now as she herself was. No, to destroy Kimberly would show poor strategy on her part. It would serve nothing except to rile the other guardians. She would save that battle for when her own forces were stronger.

No, she would keep the little brat contained here. With any luck, the little Novas would be lost without her, or at least weakened.

She turned her mind back to the pair of villains she had so recently appointed. Rita was an idiot, even by the lowest possible standards. Zedd would need to be watched. He was intelligent, angry, and blood thirsty. The minute she retreated, he would ignore her orders and beg forgiveness later.

She slowly brought her gaze back to the ship's main screen and the Earth pictured below. Who to bring here? For such a small project, it was becoming quite complicated.


	5. Chapter 5: Home Again Pt 1

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

**Chapter 5: Home Again: Part One**

* * *

Maybe it's a good thing Rita and Zedd aren't the villains they think they are. The Rangers have enough problems at home.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

_**The Coins takes place in an alternate dimension.**_

* * *

Carri walked into Billy's lab and stopped short. It was clean. Pristine to be exact. She turned around three hundred and sixty degrees, just starring. 

"I know," Kim said. "A little unnerving isn't it?"

"What happened in here?" she asked. Carri had been in New York for the last two weeks, transporting out to Angel Grove only when she was needed for attacks. She had finally hashed out an agreement with her father the day before. Her television show, _Boutique Style_, was wildly popular and he was loath to stop production until he'd found a substitute. The two agreed to continue to co-produce the show together, but with a new host traveling from city to city. Carri would do the intros and the closings, all taped from Angel Grove. She still had some production duties back in New York, which she'd have to fly back for, but nothing like she had before. As they were going to pay her an insane amount of money considering the work involved, so she couldn't complain much. Besides, New York had much better shopping and she'd see her brother more often.

"Trini happened." Kim answered her simply, nodding her head towards the other counter where Trini was organizing incoming and outgoing administration papers. Kim was sitting on a lab stool next to Billy, who was intently analyzing something on his computer screen. "That and we're finally moving into the new Command Center." She said.

"We're moving? Jase and Tommy actually admitted this is gonna to last more than a few days?"

"Let me put it this way, Tommy's friend Hayley has moved into his house in Reefside and he's out with a real estate agent and his mom looking for a new one."

Carri threw back her head and gave a triumphant laugh and Kim grinned at her. The Zeo Rangers had been back to action for six weeks. The attacks had begun with a monster called the "Alligrator," an insane looking combination of an alligator and a cheese grater. Carri had burst out laughing when she'd seen him and, to everyone's irritation, continued to giggle throughout the battle. A series of equally inane creations followed, sort of a monster de jour, finally culminating in the cat litter box monster they had fought the previous day.

Carri, who was a veteran of a serious villain, with serious intentions, and serious weapons, had a difficult time taking Rita and Zedd seriously. Tommy assured her these two were far more incompetent than the original versions, but she'd begun to give him and the others quite a bit of grief for being so worried about them in the beginning.

The claybots were far more serious adversaries than any of the monsters they faced. Monsters grew to sixty feet when you smashed the small version, but even those seemed to be more clumsy than deadly. Kimberly couldn't figure out the claybots. The ones who fought the Novas were deadly. They'd never give up and generally created serious damage wherever they appeared. These claybots would appear, tire the Rangers out, then re-group and disappear, leaving the Rangers to fight whatever monster Rita and Zedd had sent down.

By the third week, Carri was no longer laughing at the monsters. She'd roll her eyes behind her helmet and simply help trash them. The daily attacks had also lessoned. Monsters appeared at exactly four in the afternoon on Wednesdays and claybots seemed to find something in the city to trash on Monday and Friday mornings. Just what Rita and Zedd did on Tuesday, Thursday and the weekend was a mystery, but the people of Angel Grove weren't complaining. The school schedule had been adjusted to half day Wednesdays and the citizens seem to take a deep breath and re-adjust to life with the Power Rangers.

The Rangers themselves were treated as celebrities. Angel Grove was quick to realize the Zeo's had been there before and magazine and newspaper articles constantly drew comparisons of the two teams. Somehow, the rumor had been spread that the fighters inside the uniforms were the original Mighty Morphin Rangers and a virtual media frenzy of photographers and camera crews appeared whenever the morphed Rangers could be found.

How the rumor got started was anyone's guess. Tommy had been furious and Jason and Billy were quick to point fingers at Dr. Franzstien, but no trace of evidence could be found as to who tipped off the media. Eventually, hoping the frenzy would die down, Tommy had authorized a short statement to be released through NASADA confirming the rumors.

Angel Grove basked in the idea that their original Rangers had come home to save them. The fact that the attacks were so limited and the monsters so quickly and easily disposed of was determined to be because _their_ Rangers were obviously very experienced and senior. Angel Grove relaxed and life seemed to get back to normal.

"Where are we moving to?" Carri asked

"Trini found it." Kim answered.

"It's actually an series of old fall-out bunkers on the western edge of the NASADA complex." Trini said, sipping on some hot tea. She was just over eight weeks pregnant now and had just a twinge of nausea in the afternoon. "I found it while searching for secure storage units." She admitted.

"I don't think anyone at NASADA even knew it was down there." Kim added, "It's huge."

"I think there are probably people here who remember it, but it hasn't been used in nearly thirty years." Trini said, stretching her arms.

"Why?" Carri asked.

"Earthquakes." Kim said, pointing at something on the screen until Billy nodded. "Earthquakes made them unstable." She finished.

"So why are we using them then?" The idea of moving into a ramshackle old bunker was not exactly what Carri had in mind, especially if it was unstable.

"Because we have the technology to re-vamp them quickly and make them stable." Trini said, placing the last of her papers in the appropriate box.

Trini adored her job. She worked with her friends, she got to play Power Ranger a few times a week without actually having to suit up and fight some weird sort of monster, and best of all, she saw Billy every day. Life inside the lab was a huge contrast to life at her parent's house or even back in Switzerland.

Her mother was horrified to learn of her pregnancy and to Trini's mortification, demanded to know who the father was. It was as if her mother was looking for a reason why her daughter's ex-husband would leave her. Trini's older brother, whom she'd been fairly close to, also viewed the situation as an embarrassment to the family. It was frustrating and she found herself working long hours just so she wouldn't have to spend much time at home.

Even her ex-husband had responded negatively to the news of the baby, demanding a paternity test and denying any kind of support before she'd even asked for it. The divorce had been completely stalled and she was becoming more and more frustrated by the day. The filing was now contingent on a paternity test, but she was having trouble finding an obstetrician willing to do one. She was far enough along in the pregnancy now that she could have a procedure known as a CVS, but that held a high risk of miscarriage and she was unwilling to subject herself to that if she didn't have to. An amnio was not quite as high of a risk, but she'd have to wait several more weeks. Unfortunately, her ex was insisting she have one of them and she was under enormous pressure to comply.

The good thing about working in Billy's lab, was the access she had to the most modern technology. They could easily do the testing in a non-invasive way and she was once again very grateful to Billy. The only delay now had been waiting for Geirge's blood sample and mouth swab to arrive and then they were able to determine within a few seconds that he was the father. Now all she had to do was turn the paperwork over to her lawyer on Friday. At this point, she almost wished she didn't have to. The whole matter had brought out the ugly side of her ex. She didn't care about compensation anymore; she just wanted it over with.

She had been terrified her pregnancy would mean a quick end to her employment. There were many, many things down in the labyrinth, as the series of rooms and labs on levels seven and eight were called, that were just not conducive to a healthy baby. She'd dreaded coming into work the next day, knowing that Billy would have seen the results of her tests.

But he had surprised her. He'd spent the night removing any trace of equipment that might cause harm to her baby, simply storing it away as unnecessary. The truth of the matter was, he was terrified she'd already been exposed to more DNA altering energies than she should have been. Manx's lab, where Trini's physical had taken place, still radiated from a morphanological energy leak six years before. But outwardly, he was always more than reassuring.

He'd been stunned by the report. Staring at the results for several minutes. It changed nothing for him. Trini had been magically placed back in his life and he wasn't about to give her up. She regarded the pregnancy as a blessing, an event she'd been waiting years for. He resolved to do the same.

Billy had long ago given up entertaining the idea of children. He was only twenty-eight, but in many ways he was much older. Officially, one of his early experiments had gone horribly wrong, ageing him overnight into an octogenarian. Privately, he now held another belief as to what had caused the aging, but he had no proof.

The illness had forced him to leave Earth and relocate to Aquitar for treatment. The healing waters he'd been submerged in had reversed the ageing effects, but the damage had been done. Physically, he looked a good ten years or more older than his peers and internally he'd had to have several repairs to his heart and other organs. He'd also been left sterile.

Sterility in itself didn't bother him. He never considered having children. Once he had decided to remain on Aquitar, children were never part of the equation anyway. His wife had been Aquitian and, although the Aquitians were physically similar, a hybrid was out of the question.

Billy's primary concern now was for Trini. He had quickly removed anything and everything in his lab that might harm either her or her child; which had removed a surprising amount of equipment. His next step had been to recruit Dr. Manx as an unofficial private physician for her.

Kat Manx knew a surprising amount about human genetics and obstetrics. She'd had to become an expert of sorts after the accident. The levels of morphanological energy that had been released in the labyrinth were far higher than the levels released by any of the morphers or even the levels released during the destruction of the old Power Chamber. The children born to the women present on those levels showed strikingly altered DNA. What would happen when the men present began reproducing was unknown. It might be years before they tracked down every child born.

Kat Manx had been more than happy to help. To the best of her knowledge, Ashley and Trini were the first of their generation of female Rangers to give birth. The countless studies done on male Rangers showed that they didn't appear to pass on that many genetic variations to their offspring. However little to no research had been done on female Rangers.

Ashley and Andros had been fiercely protective of the daughter she had given birth to three weeks ago. They wouldn't allow Manx access to her gestation and had firmly resolved to raise her as a normal child on Earth. If, by chance, she developed side effects from her parent's tenure as Rangers, Manx would be contacted. To have the opportunity to monitor Trini's entire gestation and the development of her daughter from birth was a priceless opportunity.

"Where's Rocky?" Trini asked, looking behind Carri. The two had been attached at the hip lately. It was odd to see one without the other. Carri blushed slightly. She felt all giddy, like a teenager again. Rocky, for his part, still wasn't sure he believed that Carri's relationship with Jason had been one of platonic convenience, but as both Jason and Kim adamantly confirmed it, he simply decided not to turn his back on good fortune. They had been taking things very, very slowly. More slowly than Carri would have cared for, but Rocky was still having a difficult time with Marie and his family, so she bided her time. A large part of why she'd agreed to go back to New York and visit her parents was to put a little space between them and let Rocky settle things.

"He's working." Carri answered simply.

"That man works harder than anyone I know." Kim commented. "And I know a lot of hard working Rangers."

"Are things any better with his family?" Trini asked, coming over to stand by Kim.

Carri shook her head. "Nope, they pretty much still refuse to meet or speak about me. Rocky's mom invited Marie over for dinner twice while I was in New York, without telling Rocky she'd be there, and Rocky's sister _forgot_ to give him the message I left at his karate school saying I was taking an earlier flight home."

"I thought you just transported back yesterday afternoon after the battle." Kim said.

"Shhh." Carri said, putting her finger to her lips. "I didn't clear it with Tommy. Besides, yesterday's monster attack is how I know Rocky didn't get my message saying I was taking a different plane."

"Didn't clear what with Tommy?" Tommy asked, coming up behind Carri and placing two firm accusing hands on each of her shoulders.

"Uh…my trip back from New York. I came home early."

"You used the transporter for personal use again didn't you?" he asked sternly, but his eyes were twinkling so she just grinned guiltily.

Tommy was kind of a hard person for Carri to read. On the one hand, he was a very stern and no-nonsense kind of Ranger. There were people at NASADA, both human and non-human, who would literally move in fear to the other side of the hallway if he walked by. On the other hand, there was a part of him that Kim called the complete and total marshmallow. Carri had seen the marshmallow side often enough over the years not to be too phased by the stern side. However, she did find herself not flaunting the rules as much as she otherwise would. Or, at least, not telling him when she flaunted the rules.

"All right, I have time now," He said looking over at Kim, but with hands still firmly on Carri's shoulders, "You ready?"

Kim nodded and picked up a large folder next to her on the counter.

"Do you need me for anything else?" She asked Billy as she slid off her stool. He shook his head, but continued to absorb himself in the data on the screen.

"Wait, does this mean we're not going to the pre-sale?" Carri asked her, trying to shake off Tommy's hands. They wouldn't budge.

Kim stopped just short of her. "I'm so sorry." She said, "I totally forgot. I've been so wrapped up in this property auction… I just haven't thought about anything else."

Carri smirked. "Not even the biggest pre-sale, blowout of the season?"

Kim shook her head, "Sorry." She said simply, wincing a bit. She and Carri had planned to go out a few days ago, but her grandfather's old ranch was scheduled to be auctioned the next morning. Although she and her brother and possibly even her Uncle Steven were going in on the deal, making it a reality was less than a sure thing. Payment was due in cash to the court and she was worried the price would go far above what they had already secured.

"No big," Carri said casually. "I'm still on east coast time anyway. I'll just transport…ow!" She yelled as Tommy's fingers dug into her shoulders. "Will you quit that?"

"You'll just what?" Tommy asked sternly.

"Oh, uh… I'll just take a freaking thirty minute cab ride back to my place and crash until my boyfriend finishes up at his school." She said testily.

"Much better." Tommy said, releasing her shoulders and patting her like a child. He glanced over and caught Billy's attention, "Assembly tonight at seven, you sitting in for Aquitar?"

Billy nodded and returned his attention to the screen.

"You know," Carri said, rubbing her shoulders, "I don't think my boyfriend is going to take kindly to you putting bruises on my shoulders."

Tommy indicated for Kim to precede him out of the lab. "You know," he said, looking back over his shoulder, "I'm really not all that concerned."

* * *

Kim walked down the main corridor of Billy's section of level eight and stopped at a small conference room that was actually furnished. Level eight, for all its mystery and intrigue was really nothing special. Although the underground complex was far larger than the other bunkers at NASADA, each floor was nothing more than a cookie cutter of just about every other floor in the building. Level eight itself was just over a hundred thousand square feet of underground, bunker type offices and laboratories and probably just less than half utilized. There were only four scientists that called it home, all of whom, besides Billy, were from off world and all of whom had some affiliation at one time or another to the Power Rangers. 

The conference rooms, offices, and lab spaces that were a much-coveted commodity on other levels, for the most part, simply stood empty. Billy, who had become a solitary figure, had taken over a good fourth of the empty square footage for his own use and had promptly sealed off his wing from the other side. The result was that many of the offices normally occupied by staff, didn't even have furniture. Jason and Tommy had even thrown a mat down in one and used it as their own private sparring ring.

It would probably have been fine for them to continue to call level eight home and designate it as their command center, but the transport signatures of the Rangers were fairly easy for many at NASADA to recognize. Tommy and Jason had both ruled in the end that it was better to move operations, especially if things were going to trickle on for a while. Both agreed they didn't need an outside source watching their comings and goings.

The other side of level eight fared a bit better. It had become a sort of high priority intergalactic welcome center with twenty foot ceilings. Any high ranking dignitaries or visitors considered too important to be sheparded through with the other intergalactic masses on level seven found themselves escorted through its gate. It was elegantly decorated and looked very much like a five star hotel. It even had its own cafeteria with food synthesizers and a large indoor garden with a fountain and tables to eat at. This was the section where the Red Assembly would meet a few times a year and the place through which all official correspondence to the Power Rangers was directed. The difference, Kim thought as she sat down in the ugly office chair next to an equally ugly old table, was glaring.

"As you know," Kim said when Tommy had seated himself. "My grandfather's old ranch, _Heartland_, is going up for auction again tomorrow morning."

Tommy nodded, "And hopefully the claybots will stall off until after the gavel goes down." He said. He already knew she'd most likely be missing from any Friday morning attacks, but he'd also made it very clear that if she was needed, the Rangers came first. Not that he thought she'd renege her duties, he just couldn't resist reminding her. There was a tiny little frown line that would pop up when he dug at her that was actually kind of cute. It gave her away every time.

Kim ignored him and handed him the pre-auction papers she'd copied. "Originally, the auction was just supposed to be the house, cemetery, and about a hundred acres. Just over half of those acres are in a land trust. It can be farmed or ranched, but not developed."

Tommy nodded. "Okay." He said slowly. "So what happened? Why do you need my help?" He kept his face neutral, resisting the urge to smile. Privately, he was thrilled that she'd ask him for anything. She'd held him firmly at arm's length for years. Even in the last few weeks she'd maintained an aloof distance. Not that he didn't deserve it, he reminded himself. He had been the one who got nasty when she'd wanted to make amends five years ago, but he'd been dealing with his breakup with Katherine, among other things, and the thought of Kimberly waltzing back into his life had been more than he could handle back then. He'd been immature and handled it badly; but it still saddened him a bit that the old closeness was gone and there was a definite wall between them. This auction was highly personal; he knew how much it meant to her. That she'd actively seek him out for help…it was kind of nice.

"Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure." She began slowly. "I think its reputation caught up with it."

"I don't follow you." He said, sitting back in his chair.

"It has a bad reputation." She began carefully, then stopped.

"Alright..."

Kim put her pen down, settled back in her chair, and began the history of her family's property_. Heartland_, had been homesteaded in the late eighteen-seventies. In its hay day, it was just over a thousand acres of cattle ranch. It's founder was the son of one the very few miners that managed to make a fortune outside of San Francisco, mining gold in the year preceding the forty nine gold rush and later tripling that fortune selling dry goods and land to the thousands who flocked to California in the following years. He had been a quiet man, but fairly active in the development of Angel Grove from small township into a city. The house had been built as a consolation prize to his wife. Her family had been part of Boston's society and nineteenth century life in California was not what she had bargained for. It was out of place for such a rustic area and remained one of the largest homes in Angel Grove for many decades. According to the court papers, it was just over twenty-three hundred square feet, but Kim remembered it to be much larger.

Heartland's founder had lived a good, prosperous life, leaving the property to nine surviving children at the turn of the century. Four had remained to work the ranch, only one of which married and had children. By the time Kim's grandfather took over after the second world war, the ranch had shrunk considerably in size to just over two hundred and fifty acres. He had walled up the upper stories as uneconomical to maintain and remodeled the first floor to accommodate his small family of four.

His two sons had never been interested in the property and had left as early as they could for the city itself. By the time Kim was a young girl, she remembered not much more than a few old horses and a large garden. After her brother was born, she would spend days at a time at the old ranch where her grandfather would care for her after school and during the summer. If it had been up to her grandfather, _Heartland_ would have been hers. However, her grandfather and his three brothers jointly owned the house and the property and it was not his to dispose of.

Her grandfather's death in the nineteen eighties had sparked a huge battle between the remaining heirs. The three surviving brothers had children and all of them wanted to inherit their share of the valuable land through their parent. The court battles drug on until the early nineteen nineties, during which the old house simply sat vacant. The property had eventually been ordered sold off by the court to satisfy the heirs and pay the lawyers.

But that was the most mundane of _Heartland_'s history. According to the original owner's will, _Heartland_ was never to be sold outside the family. This decree was unenforceable by law, but came with the warning of a curse. According to the will, anyone outside of the founder's family who possessed _Heartland'_s manor would meet their ruin.

The heirs to _Heartland_'s acreage had laughed at this curse. They were modern people and didn't put much faith in the nonsense of a century before. Yet within three months of _Heartland_'s sale, two of the remaining brothers were dead and the third institutionalized after a massive stroke. Within the year, two of the other nine descendants had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and Kim's Uncle Steven suffered a mild heart attack.

The same year, Kim's father went through a painful divorce from her mother where he estranged himself from both children and eventually declared bankruptcy. Several serious car and boating accidents were also reported and Kim herself had fallen off the parallel bars just before her freshman year of high school and fractured her collarbone. Her Uncle Steven even blamed a plane incident, where he had passed out and Kim was left to land the aircraft by herself, on the curse. Kim knew for a fact that episode was the fault of the old Rita, but she held her tongue.

These calamities were nothing compared to the woes that befell _Heartland_'s new owners. The first developer to purchase the land had been stung by a bee while trying to open the plywood covering _Heartland_'s door. An hour later he was found dead in the front foyer.

His son swore that everything that crossed the land, from bulldozers, to cartons of nails, to people, would simply disappear. When he himself simply vanished one day, _Heartland_'s legend grew. By the end of five years, _Heartland_ had claimed the lives of as many owners. All that touched the property were ruined, including foreign investors, some of which had never set foot in California.

Within a decade of the sale, it became undisputed that the old house was haunted. Ghost hunters and paranormal seekers from all over the world flocked to it. Angel Grove, the center of weirdness in California for many years, claimed _Heartland_ its epicenter. Even the banks didn't want to own the property as several had found themselves the targets of hostile takeovers while carrying the property on their books and it became a running joke at Angel Grove City Hall to notify the coroner's office that _Heartland_ had a new owner.

Kim's brother couldn't believe his good fortune when he read that _Heartland_ would once again be auctioned. The opening bid was a pittance compared to California land prices and as Kim and he were both legitimate heirs, perhaps they could break the curse. Michael, now a junior architect for their Uncle Steven's construction company, wanted to split the property. Kim, as the primary investor, could have the house and the acres in the land trust and then the two could develop the remaining acres together. While Kim didn't agree that they should develop the land, she wanted that old house. It was filled with very happy memories of her grandfather; memories Michael was too young to remember.

As virtually no one was stupid enough to bid on the property, Kim thought their chances were pretty good to obtain it. Hopefully, with any luck, the auction price would close for less than she had paid for her little house in Turtle Cove. If that was the case, she might be able to talk Mike into letting her buy back most of the remaining acreage at a later date.

But the auction had hit a snag. The bank, which had taken possession again through the bankruptcy court, wanted the property gone. It suddenly found itself in the process of being absorbed into a national franchise and, blaming the _Heartland_ curse, it's directors wanted to clear its books of the land; quickly. They had paired the property with another connecting lot, lost in the same bankruptcy. Although the land was part of the original _Heartland _ranch, it was a one hundred acre tract that had been sold long before Kim's grandfather had moved in. This piece of land was a choice bit of California hills real estate, which backed up to several exclusive suburban mc-mansion communities.

The local developers were furious that the _Heartland_ property had been tagged on to it and Kim was devastated. She and Mike had quickly re-grouped, bringing their Uncle Steven into the deal, but there was no assurance the auction would go their way. The other tract of land was much sought after, so everything depended on how desperately the other developers wanted it.

"So now, instead of an opening bid around four hundred thousand, the auction is expected to start between two and four million." Kim said as she finished her story. "Basically, buy the desired tract and get Heartland free."

Tommy let out a long breath and shifted in his chair. "So let me get this straight." He said, "Your grandfather's house is _Haunted Hill_?" He knew the stories, everyone knew the stories. Even his brother didn't stray onto that land and David would investigate just about anyplace rumored to be weird.

"Kimberly…" He said slowly.

"I can stop the curse, that's why I came to you. No one else can have that land."

"You really think this is a curse?" Hell, he chastised himself silently; even he thought it was a curse. He'd seen enough strange things in his tenure as a Ranger to know that things like that were very real.

"As much as any curse." She said honestly. "Mostly it's a security system, a very old one."

"A security system?" Tommy asked, one eyebrow rising slightly. Now that had his attention.

Kim nodded. "My grandfather knew he had a terminal disease. Before they took him to live at the hospice, he and I went out into his garden and dug up a stone. It was just a stupid piece of glass, but he told me to hang on to it and never let it go."

"Glass…" Tommy said, deadpan.

Kim's temper flared slightly. She'd been under an incredible amount of stress lately and just didn't have the patience to walk him through this. "Oh come on," she snapped, a bit edgier than she'd intended. "You and I have both been through enough weird stuff to know things like this happen. Curses, pieces of glass, crystals, even rocks, they're all innocuous things that play vital roles in the bigger picture."

Tommy nodded and rubbed his eyes. When she didn't continue, he waved his hand in a gesture to do so.

"I kept the glass with me because it was from my grandfather. That was the last time we gardened together and it was a very special memory. Anyway, I went out there yesterday, just to look at the house. I was so incredibly disappointed that it was probably out of our range now. Even with Uncle Steve's help, it's probably not going to happen." She paused and looked him directly in the eyes. "That's when I noticed the grid."

That had Tommy's full attention. He sat up a little straighter. Grids weren't all that uncommon on the California coast. Zordon had used more than a few in his ten thousand year residency. Finding them was next to impossible. You had to know what you were looking for and then you had to posses the keys to get them to communicate with you. Almost all of them were protected by security systems. Systems that could easily transport bulldozers or people out of the danger zone. That would explain why things tended to never come back from up there. They could have ended up anywhere, or any when, in the galaxy.

"You think that piece of glass was a keystone?" Tommy asked. A keystone was a critical part of a grid's security. Remove it and the grid went on red alert and would do whatever it had to for self-protection. As grids were sentient, tended to be extremely intelligent, and could communicate with other grids giving them extensive ranges, self-preservation could get nasty.

"I know it's a keystone. I don't know why it didn't dawn on me before. The signs are all there… Zordon even told me once he knew of my grandfather…and I've had that freakin stone in my possession for nearly twenty years. But the point is, I can't let that property go. I've got to diffuse the grid and stabilize the area again. It can't be developed. Can you imagine what would happen if a dense population like a neighborhood moved too close?"

"You think you can stabilized it?" Tommy asked seriously. A grid out of control for more than two decades was going to be tough to manage.

"I know I can. I've done quite a bit of training with Dulcea," She confessed. "A little with Lerigot, but he's so busy now." She paused, she didn't want to misrepresent herself, but she was pretty good at what she'd been asked to do so far. "I might be only in my first years of training on things like this, but I'm not powerless. And I have the fact that I've possessed the keystone for so long on my side too."

Tommy nodded in agreement. It wasn't like they had a choice in the matter. He was in communication with a grid up in Reefside, perhaps between the two of them, and the current grid they might be able to calm this one down. "What time is the auction?" He asked.

"It starts at eight tomorrow morning, but there are a number of properties, so I don't know the exact time they'll get to it."

He let out a long, tired breath. His plate was too full right now. Rita and Zedd drained his energy, but they weren't his biggest problem by a long shot. After a decade of relative peace, the intergalactic wars were gaining momentum again. Tommy was faced with the sad realization that Zordon's death had only bought a temporarily stall to the conflicts. It was a sad waste of his life force. Earth had only a decade or so at best to get ready before it would also be drawn into the fray. That was a short period of time to bring the planet up to intergalactic standards, especially when Earth's leaders were far more interested in their own myopic gains than in pulling together.

Then there was his personal life. His adoptive mother was thrilled to have him back in Angel Grove. He was her only child and she enjoyed having him close by. But over breakfast with her, he'd suddenly remembered why he'd moved to Reefside. He loved his mother dearly and honestly enjoyed spending the weekends visiting her. But visiting and living next to her were very different things.

He'd been regaled with the details of every available female in his mother's acquaintance. She wanted to see him happy, he understood that, but for him, happy didn't consist of dating. He loathed the process, hated the games, and frankly didn't have time to deal with the emotional side of it. He had female company when he wanted it, he didn't need his mom setting him up with her friend's daughters. She even hinted to the real estate agent, more than once, that her son was a very available bachelor. The woman had been amused, but he'd been more than a little annoyed.

"Alright." He said, fatigue showing through in his voice. "I'm going to call Hayley and have her wire money from one of the offshore corporations. Bid as high as you need, then call her at the end of the auction and she'll get the funds transferred to the right people."

Kim smiled in relief. She hated coming to him for help with money, she'd pounded out every option she could think of before approaching him, but he was the only one she could think of to help. Tommy was not only one of the few that she could confide in about the grid, he was also one of the few who could also do something about it financially.

He was rumored to have made a large fortune in the last decade. How much, she wasn't sure, but she knew how much a zord cost to build and he had built many of them. Barely out of college, he and Hayley had developed an invention that read DNA traces far more accurately than anything on the planet. The machine was in demand everywhere from forensic labs to universities all over the globe. She'd even used one in Turtle Cove to analyze plant DNA.

She knew he'd also inherited a good amount when his adopted father had passed away. She didn't know all the details, but she knew he'd taken some and invested in his brother's house flipping business and in the coffee shop he and Hayley had built in Reefside. Whatever else he'd been up to, she didn't know, but it had apparently paid off. He hadn't even blinked at the price of the property. It was a far cry from their middle class upbringing as teenagers.

Although Kim was descended from two of Angel Grove's most prestigious families, her upbringing had been less than ostentatious. Her father was horrible with money. If it hadn't been for his trust fund, which doled out his inheritance in monthly increments, he would have been destitute long ago. His family had long since washed their hands of him. It was Kim's mother's family and later her stepfather, who had paid for the costly gymnastics training in Orlando and the expenses of the Pan Games.

After the age of twenty-one, Kim also had a small trust payment each month, but the bulk of her money had been made from her TV show with Carri and her book deals about the Pan Games. Her stepfather had very wisely tied most of it up in long term investments which gave her a monthly income, but she didn't have nearly the funds available to make this kind of a purchase.

Tommy rose and started out the door, "Assembly's at seven. You're a home-based senior red. Yes I know," he said, holding up a hand at the scalding look she'd given him. "I'm ignoring your demands to be called a pink. I don't care Kimberly. It's my Assembly. Be there by six to go over the details with Jason and me. Andros is out tonight; he doesn't want to leave Ashley alone with the baby now that Rita's back in town."

"Thank you." She said earnestly, as he turned and opened the door. "For helping me with this auction. It means a great deal to me."

"Just secure that grid." He said sternly over his shoulder.

* * *

"I'm glad you could meet me for lunch." Carri said, as she slid into her chair. She'd been surprised by her cousin's call. Katherine Hillard had a full time job teaching Kindergarten at Angel Academy and another successful business teaching dance in the afternoon. Between her jobs and her new fiancé, Carri had seen far less of her cousin in the last six weeks than she thought she would. 

"My class lets out at twelve-thirty." Kat said, taking her own seat. "Normally I have enough work to keep me busy until my afternoon dance classes, but I thought we might steal away."

"I'm always up for lunch and shopping." Carri grinned. She grimaced inwardly, even if it was wedding shopping. But, she was glad her cousin called.

"So how was New York?" Kat asked casually over her menu.

"Fine. Hot, crowded, busy. Pretty much the same."

"And you mum and dad?"

Carri rolled her eyes heavenward and gave Kat a mischievous smile. Her parents were as baffled by her as ever and if it weren't for the fact that she continued to co-produce her old TV show with her father, Carri was tempted to just shut them out of her life and ignore them for a while. Not that she didn't love them both dearly; they were just driving her insane.

Her mother was devastated that she'd broken things off with Jason. Apparently, she and Jason's mom had planned a ski trip together over the coming holidays. Carri had encouraged her to keep the plans, it wasn't as if she and Jase were on bad terms, but her mother had simply shaken her head hand headed off to the bathroom to take an aspirin.

"They're doing fine." She said simply.

"And how are the other things going?" Kat asked carefully.

"By that do you mean the monster bashing?" Carri asked softly. Kat nodded and she grimaced, nose crinkling. "Jase and Tommy have apparently caved on their attitude that this is gonna be over in a few weeks. It's weird, we're still kinda trying to figure things out." She confided softly, leaning a bit closer. "Kim says the claybots aren't behaving the way they should and everyone keeps saying the monsters aren't what they're cracked up to be either. Billy's analyzing the battle patterns now. It's as if they're just trying to keep us busy rather than conquer the city."

The conversation stopped as the waitress came by their table and took their order. Kat handed back her menu, folded both hands in front of her, and smiled sweetly. As the waitress left, Carri had the sinking feeling that her cousin wanted something.

Katherine was one of the nicest people Carri knew, but she also had a not so nice side that Carri avoided if she could. At the core, the cousins were very similar. That was probably why they had both been tapped as Rangers. But Carri was as opposite in personality as she was in looks. She was blunt, and direct, and seldom beat around the bush, but she was also incredibly out-going and willing to embrace the new. Katherine was sweet, and soft, and reserved, but had a tendency to be slightly myopic.

"So, Kim's Zeo One?" Kat asked sweetly. Carri relaxed a little. This she'd been expecting. She knew Kat and Kimberly had once been friends, but dating the same guy had changed their relationship into a minor rivalry. They had patched things up recently, but it was more of a situation where they avoided each other and agreed to be nice. In the six weeks since Carri had moved to Angel Grove, Kat had barely returned her phone calls. She claimed to be too busy with work and wedding plans, but Carri suspected it also had to do with Kim being her roommate.

"Yes," Carri answered her question.

"The uniform is different." Kat commented, breaking off and toying with a piece of bread. "It's darker and has more gold around the collar."

"Her weapons are a little different too." Carri said, continuing the small talk. "Billy thinks it's because she's had so many different morphers."

"She has?" Kat asked, a bit surprised, and Carri winced internally. She didn't think it was a secret among the Rangers, but she just wasn't sure how much to tell Kat. Tommy hadn't given her any barometers where her cousin was concerned. He rarely participated in conversations about any of the former Rangers, he wasn't around enough, but conversations about Katherine he pointedly avoided altogether.

"Well, not nearly as many as Tommy, I don't think anyone's had as many as he has, but she's had a few. Everyone on the team seems to have had more than one. Billy says that's why there's so much more banding and the colors are darker. If you noticed, Zeo Five's uniform is apparently really different too."

Kat simply nodded. "It's certainly not as bright as it once was. Rocky definitely looks like he's wearing black and not blue…that is Rocky isn't it?"

"Oh yes." Carri smiled.

Kat frowned a bit. She hadn't expected Tommy to resurrect the old Zeo morphers. She supposed it made sense. The Zeo crystal hadn't been destroyed; it had simply been united and stored away when the team shifted into their Turbo powers. As far as she knew, the grid was even still in Angel Grove. But the Zeo crystal was personal. They had all gone on a special quest to restore it. To just hand them out to other people seemed… wrong.

"And how's Rocky doing?" Kat asked softly, redirecting her thoughts.

Carri beamed at her, "Wonderful." She grinned. "I haven't been this happy in a long time Kat." She confided.

"Well… that's nice." Kat replied a bit distracted. Carri's giddiness drained away.

"What's that suppose to mean?" she asked.

"Nothing." Kat said, back peddling a bit. "It's just that… it must be strange to work on a team with both Rocky and Jason every day. How is Jason taking it?"

"Gauging by the steady stream of blonds making their way in and out of his apartment, I'd say just fine." She said dryly.

"I suppose we all deal with things the best way we know how."

Carri gave her cousin a hard look as she added sweetener to her tea. Just what was going on here? Katherine was her cousin, but the girls had they'd lived in different countries most of their lives. Katherine had grown up in Australia and Carri's parents had moved her to the US as an infant. She had hoped her move to Angel Grove would bring them closer, especially as both now shared Rangering in common.

Katherine obviously had an opinion about her break-up with Jason and her new relationship with Rocky. Carri wished for one brief second that she felt secure enough with Kat to confide in her that she and Jason had only been good friends, were still, in fact, good friends, but she just couldn't find the desire to do so. She tossed her teaspoon on the table and sat back.

"All right Kat." She said, a bit of an edge in her voice. "Get it out. This obviously wasn't a spur of the moment social call. You have something to say, tell me."

"Direct and to the point as ever." Kat sighed, sipping her tea.

"On with it." Carri said flatly.

"I'm concerned Carri." Kat began tentatively, placing her tea cup on the table in front of her. "I mean that with all the love and affection in my heart. Rocky's going through a very difficult time and I'm worried that you're going to get hurt by pushing your way into the middle of it."

"I appreciate the concern, but it's not necessary. I'm a big girl Kat."

Kat leaned forward on the table, obviously trying to choose her words very carefully. "Carri, this isn't just something you can jump into and then brush off. The Ranger community is very small one."

"Why the hell does everyone keep saying that?" Carri groaned. If she heard that phrase one more time she was seriously going to hit someone. Rocky had gently slowed things down for six weeks because the _Ranger community_ was so small and they needed to be careful. She was sick of it.

"Because it's true. Carri, I've been there before. I've been the second girlfriend. Now Rocky is the second boyfriend. It strains the team."

"Kat, trust me, it's no big deal." She interrupted. "Do you want to talk to Jason himself? He's totally fine with it. I seriously doubt they'd still be apartment mates if he weren't."

"No. I don't want to talk with Jason about it." The irritation was clear in Kat's voice. "It's you I'm concerned about. This whole affair is just all very odd ... even for you."

"Gee thanks. What's so odd about it?" Carri asked, frustration creeping into her voice. She hated being told what to do, she hated criticism even more. She'd spent two weeks with her parents and their opinions about her breakup with Jason, now Katherine was going to start. None of them knew anything about it.

"I find it a bit odd that the two of you would just throw away two good, steady, thriving, long term relationships for an spur of the moment, ill thought out affair."

"My relationship with Jase was hardly thriving." Carri responded sarcastically. "About the only people who thought so were our parents. And what the hell is _ill thought out_ supposed to mean?"

"You were with Jason a long time. All relationships go through a damper phase." Kat said, frustration now giving her voice an edge as well. Her cousin was incredibly impetuous. She had no idea the havoc she'd wrecked by turning Rocky's head. If Carri only understood bluntness, then she'd be blunt. "It's normal to slow down, but that's no reason to go out and steal Rocky away from Marie." Katherine sat back in her chair. "What happened? Maybe you got a little bored? That's so typical of you Carri. You want something, so damn the consequences for everybody else. As long as you get your way…you don't think. Rocky's not a toy, he had a good life going…"

"Whoa." Carrie said firmly, leaning forward and raising her hand in a stop gesture. Her hackles had risen automatically at Kat's tone and she fought to keep a civil tone.

"You've got your information wrong Kat. Rocky broke up with Marie before we even considered seeing each other."

"Rocky broke up with her the morning after he moved in with Jason and found out you two had broken up." Kat countered.

"No." Carri insisted. "Rocky had no idea Jason and I called it quits, I was there, you weren't. And, if you'll remember, no coincidence, that was also the same time we formed the new Ranger team. Did you think of that? There was a lot going on that week. We were all re-prioritizing our lives. Rocky told me he was being smothered in that relationship. Between his mother and Marie, his entire life was orchestrated for him. Going back to the Rangers made him realize how little of his life was his own."

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Kat asked waspishly, "Does it make you feel better when you sleep with another woman's man?"

Carri stared at her cousin, mouth slightly open. Actually, she and Rocky hadn't slept together yet. Not that things hadn't gotten fairly hot and heavy, but they had decided to wait until she got back from her trip to New York. The night before, he'd been called over to his mother's house to fix a broken pipe. This afternoon they had agreed to turn their phones off. Carri had been walking on air all day, waiting for their date tonight. Kat's attitude stopped her cold. Her comments seemed better suited to her old grievances against Kim rather than anything to do with Rocky and her.

"What's going on here Kat?" Carri asked as evenly as she could. This wasn't Kat's style. Something wasn't right here. "Is this payback for my disapproval of Chris? I thought we put that behind us. You're going to marry him, I already told you I'd do my best to be nice and treat him like family."

"This has to do with the fact that I can't believe my cousin would steal my best friend's fiancé."

"Wait," Carri said, shaking her head and trying to digest what her cousin had just said. "No. Rocky and Marie were never engaged and since when are you guys best friends?"

"It was implied." Kat insisted firmly. "Rocky told her repeatedly he was going to make things official. That is until he met you, I saw how the two of you cozied up together that night at the Grand when Marie wasn't there. It's no wonder Jason called it quits after that…and Marie and I have become very good friends since she transferred at the beginning of the school year. I helped her to get a job teaching the new first grade class at Angel Academy when Mrs. White decided not to come back after her maternity leave. I know all about how Rocky broke things off with her… and why."

"First of all, you're facts are wrong and I'm a little disappointed you didn't bother to verify things with me before you formed your opinions. You're my cousin, you're supposed to be on my side whether you agree with me or not." If Carri had a dime for every time she sided with Kat against Kimberly, she could probably pay for an entire spa day. At the very least, Kat owed her the same. " I honestly don't care if you pal around with my boyfriend's ex or not, but you could at least defend me a little."

"As my cousin, I would have expected you to be above sleeping with your boyfriend's friends." Kat fired back. "Yes, Carri, you're my cousin. I know you very well. It's not a stretch to understand that you've run from every relationship that's ever gotten a little serious. You're rebounding just like Rocky is, but it's a lot more significant this time. The two of you could do a lot of damage to the team." She paused briefly, biting her lip and trying to diffuse her anger a little. "It's not too late to end it Carri, Jason might never forgive you, but Marie still wants Rocky back. You and I both know it's only a temporary fling on your part."

"What?" Carri hissed. She had never wanted a relationship this badly in her entire life. If she hadn't already committed to the long haul, she would have never put up with six weeks of kissing him good night and going to bed alone. Carri didn't care what Kat thought, she was being the most responsible of her entire life. They were taking things more slowly and carefully than she had ever done before. She knew full well that this might not work out, she understood he was rebounding, but she also knew that there was a good possibility it could work after all. For that, she was willing to take a chance.

"Oh don't play games Carri." Kat continued, sitting back in her chair. "You and I both know you're in another of your little life crisis's, otherwise why would you just quit your show, toss your relationship with Jason out the window, and jump into bed with Rocky?"

"I quit my show because I was offered another morpher." Carri growled softly. Well, that was partly true. Truth always stung the hardest. She'd been bored. She'd been bored with the show, bored with the travel, and bored with her pretend relationship with Jason. It wasn't Kat's fault that she didn't know what she and Jason had been up to…or rather not been up to.

"That still doesn't change the fact that you're playing around with Rocky," Kat added. "_Jason's friend_. Was your relationship with Jason so stalled you had to go out and jump into bed with someone else?"

"If that isn't the pot calling the kettle black." Carri snarled angrily. Her voice was low and calm. Shockingly calm, even to her own ears. Her words were precise and deadly and meant to hurt. She was beyond angry now. "Tommy didn't exactly know what you were up to in that study group with Chris did he?" If Kat was going to sling mud, cousin or no, she better be prepared to wrestle dirty.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kat spat, her eyes wide.

"You can play innocent all you like with other people Kat, but I'm family, I know what really happened when Tommy went on his first dig in South America. Things had been slowing down for months between you two. He came back all contrite about a one night stand and you cried bloody murder for months… all the while you'd been up to the same thing with Chris."

"How dare you!" Kat hissed, eyes wide and furious. "That isn't true Carri."

"Oh I dare cousin, and it is the truth, we both know it. The whole family knows it. Little Miss Perfect ain't so perfect after all is she?" Carri spat, eyes hard as stone. Kat's face had turned beat red and she looked like she was going to claw Carri to pieces. But Carri wasn't quite done. She had never managed to actually quit when she was ahead. When her temper flared, it was no holds barred.

"Unlike you though, Rocky and I both had the guts to admit our previous relationships were going nowhere and end them before starting something new. You just dabbled on the side until you realized Tommy was really going to leave you after all." Carri paused and Kat simply starred at her in horror.

"Go tell your new best friend she'd deluded if she thinks I'm going to stand by and listen to her howl at the moon…oh yes, I've heard what she and Rocky's mom have been up to...it's not going to work. Sending you to get me to cry off was downright stupid of her. You don't know shit about me Katherine, you never have. I waited twenty-eight years to meet that man, I'm not giving him up."

"I try to save you a heart break from your stupid, impulsive decisions and this is what I get in return?" Kat asked incredulously. She had tears in her eyes and Carri honestly felt bad about them. She knew she'd gone too far, but she didn't care. She was sick and tired of people pretending to know who and what she was. If Kat didn't have any higher opinion of her than that, well then screw her.

"No." Carri said flatly as the waitress delivered their plates to the table. She rose from her seat and grabbed her purse. "What you get is stuck with the bill."

* * *

"So how late are we?" Kim asked Trini as they walked through the back hallways of the main research floor. 

"I think you're still ok," Trini answered, "Billy still hasn't answered the non emergency pages on his communicator, so he's probably engrossed in something and hasn't noticed the time. We should both be fine."

It was just past six-forty in the evening and Trini had told Billy she'd be back just after five to have dinner with him in the cafeteria. Kim was supposed to have been back no later than six for the Assembly pre meeting. They had slipped away earlier to visit Ashley and play with the new baby. The time had gotten away from them and Kim had quickly transported them back to the NASADA complex. Unfortunately, she couldn't get them directly back to level eight because of the extra security shield Billy had set up in anticipation of the meeting. She had to transport them to the main hall of level seven and take the elevators from there.

Tommy was going to be furious. He had been pressuring her for a week to attend the meeting he'd called in response to the new attacks on Angel Grove. It was a formality. They called a new Assembly a few times a year or anytime a new Ranger team appeared. Kim had resisted the invitation because he insisted on giving her red status. Even if she was technically now wearing a pink uniform, she still had her red Ninjetti powers. He'd been adamant in her attendance. If she wanted the pinks in leadership, he told her, then she needed to participate in the leadership, not hide from it. She had grudgingly agreed, but he'd still been after her all week about her actually showing up. She'd already missed the pre-meeting; she'd never hear the end of it if she'd turned up late for the Assembly itself.

"Just a moment you two!" an angry voice called from behind. Kimberly did an abrupt about face and ran straight into Dr. Franzstien. The older woman swerved and made a sharp curve around her.

"Miss Kwan." She snarled, cornering Trini. "I would like a word with you."

"Any other time, Dr. Franzstien," Trini said sweetly, "But I'm afraid we're both running late."

"It has come to my attention that you failed your intake physical."

"I assure you, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Dr. Matilda Franzstien was not an overly tall woman, but she towered over Trini. She used this added height to her advantage and leaned inches above Trini's face.

"Are you denying that you're expecting?" She demanded, almost triumphantly.

"Expecting what?" Trini replied innocently.

"This is a serious matter Miss Kwan, I cannot…"

"_Dr. Frankenstein_ I presume?" Kim said, coming around and standing behind Trini, both hands on her shoulders.

"Miss Hart." Dr. Franzstien said waspishly, "I had heard the vicious rumor that you deigned to grace us with your presence once again. Miss Kwan" She continued, her attention focused back on Trini, "This is completely unacceptable. It's an absolutely shocking breach of protocol."

"And I, for one, can tell you how absolutely shocked I am." Kim said a bit dramatically.

"You mean to tell me you didn't know about this?" Dr Franzstien asked, her tone clear that she didn't believe Kim for an instant.

"Know? Of course I knew. I'm absolutely shocked that you, of all people, are the absolute last person to know. If you'll excuse us?"

She turned Trini around and pushed her toward the level eight elevators. Ahead of them was Karone. Andros had asked her to stand in for him at the Assembly, but her attention had been drawn to the conversation in the corridor outside the elevator. Always curious to know what had Dr. Franzstien in knots, she had witnessed the scene and, racing ahead, keyed her id card through the security slot to open the doors.

"I am not finished with this!" Dr. Franzstien shouted as she raced to keep up with the retreating pair.

"I can assure you that you are." Kim called over her shoulder.

"Miss Kwan, Miss Hart! I insist you stop this instant."

"Gotta run," Kim said sweetly, pushing Trini into the elevator that would take them down to the primary level eight complex. She held out her hand as Dr. Franzstien approached the elevator door.

"Sorry Frankenstein," Kim said every bit as frosty as Dr. Franzstien herself. "You don't have clearance for this corridor…don't make me call security."

With that, Karone immediately closed the elevator doors.

"That was brilliant." Karone said mischievously, leaning back against the elevator walls. "Did you get a look at that old hag's face? She'll spit metal for weeks after this."

As the computer finished its security scan and began its decent, Trini leaned against the railing and took a deep breath.

"You all right?' Kim asked and Trini nodded.

"Tired. Nauseous." She said. "I've been able to avoid her the past few weeks. This wasn't the best day to get cornered."

"It's never a good day to have a run in with Frankenstein." Karone sympathized. "So there's truth to the rumors then?" She asked cautiously.

"Are you attending the meeting tonight?" Kim asked, changing the subject. She spun around and gave Karone a warning look. Just what Karone did for the Rangers at NASADA, Kim wasn't sure. Like most Rangers, it was simply better not to ask. She caught the cue and nodded.

"Tommy asked me to report on Gruumm's movements in sector twelve." She answered.

"What rumors?" Trini asked.

"Gruumm's on the move again?" Kim asked, ignoring her.

"Kimberly, what rumors?" Trini asked as the doors opened.

"I'll just, uh… see you after the conference." Karone said sweetly. She stepped out of the elevator and walked briskly down the hall.

Trini grabbed Kimberly's arm and stopped her as she also tried to walk away.

"What rumors?" Trini insisted firmly

"They're absurd." Kim said, shaking her head in emphasis. "NASADA is a huge complex with a tiny community of very competitive people that just don't like each other very much. They have nothing better to do than speculate and try to undermine each other."

"What rumors?"

"No one believes them..."

"Kimberly!"

Kimberly sighed heavily, "Frankenstein's supporters are saying Billy brought you into his lab because you're his mistress. Now that it turns out your pregnant and he won't dismiss you…" Kim stopped.

"They think Billy's the baby's father?" Trini asked, eyes wide an unbelieving. Kim nodded.

"Like I said, it's simply stupid high school type nonsense. It's not even worthy of high school."

"But…" Trini protested, "I'm still married to my husband."

"It's common knowledge you're separated and getting a divorce. You've been back in the California for eight weeks, you're about eight weeks pregnant…people love gossip, especially when it's about someone else. If that someone just happens to be on level eight, they love it even more." Kim felt bad. They had all tried to keep the rumors from her. She was on such an emotional roller coaster; she didn't need the petty gossip of this facility added to it.

"Sweetie I was the gossip target for months when I first came here. Tongues are still wagging that I only won the Pan Games because I'm a mutant. Believe me, most of it will die down and the rest isn't important."

"Oh my God." Trini groaned covering her face with her hands. "Does Billy know about the rumors?"

Kim nodded. "Billy plays the part of the absent minded professor, but he knows everything that goes on around here…that's part of his job. He and Manx keep their eyes and ears open for Tommy. There're too many people here trying to make new Rangers like Lightspeed did. Trini I'm sorry."

"Kimberly." Tommy stated firmly, placing two hands on both her arms from behind. She jumped, startled, and his grip hardened.

"Don't do that." She snarled. If there was one thing she hated, it was being surprised. If there was anything else she hated, it was being restrained. She'd been restrained on Muirantias when Divatox lowered her and Jason into the Pit of Eternal Fire. Neither of them could stand it now. How the hell he'd snuck up on her like that, she didn't know. She'd been so focused on Trini; somehow even his well-known signature had slipped past her. "Sneaking up on me is dangerous." She warned, eyes glowing red. She saw Trini's stare and quickly diffused the glow.

"I think I can defend myself.' He said dryly.

"Until you end up face to face with a real live version of one of your dinosaurs." She snapped. She supposed she shouldn't be so surprised after all, he was who he was, but it didn't make her temper dissipate any easier. "Portals generate through a reflex action. Don't startle me like that again. We could end up anywhere or any when, even deep space."

"Your late." He said casually, ignoring her. " The Assembly is this way." He turned her around, hands still shackling her arms.

"Really." She said, voice deadpan.

"Yeah, come on. We'll walk together."

Kim made a sound not too un-similar to a growl. She just didn't remember him being this obnoxious as a kid. If she had any bruises on her arms, she and Carri were going to have to put their heads together and make him regret his little strangle hold. She was not about to give him that kind of advantage over her again. Let the rest of the universe think he was mister mean and nasty, Tommy had a heart of gold and it wouldn't take much drama on their part to seriously turn on the guilt.

Trini caught Kim's eyes as they passed her and she grinned despite herself. She wondered briefly if Tommy had any idea Kim had payback written all over her face. Slowly, she turned and walked the opposite way down the hall towards the small cafeteria, thinking about the rumors again. If Billy knew, why hadn't he said anything to her?

Well, she had the genetics tests to prove her soon to be ex husband was the father. She was going to have to give them over to her lawyer in the morning; although she really didn't want to. Geirge was demanding full custody if it was his. This was going to change everything. There would be no quick divorce now. The bastard was going to get everything he wanted after all. He was going to marry his bimbo girlfriend who was going to give him his son in a few weeks and now Trini was going to give him a daughter who they were going to battle over in court. At the very best outcome, the baby would very likely have to spend every summer with him in Switzerland or at his parent's house in Sweden...if the courts ruled in her favor. If not, she would lose custody of the daughter she so desperately wanted and she would be raised in Switzerland with her father and step mother. Geirge's lawyers were already making the argument that their client provided a stable two parent home whereas she lived in a research facility that was just simply not conducive to raising a child… and the tests weren't even turned in yet. Billy had sworn to her that he'd provide an army of lawyers, but she was devastated none the less.

She stopped, thinking over what Kim had said. She was just under eight weeks pregnant… and she only knew that for certain because the medical equipment in the labyrinth was so sophisticated. She had been back in the States for just over eight weeks, so she had very likely gotten pregnant the very last night she had spent with her ex-husband. Who was to say Geirge was the father of her baby? Because he was the only man in her entire life that she'd ever slept with, she chided herself. But what if she said it was someone else's? Even her own mother had asked who the father was.

If she did name someone else, what would it hurt? Geirge wouldn't be interested in the baby anymore. It would be over. She'd be free. Her daughter would never know him, but was that really such a bad thing? Anyone was a better substitute parent than her ex. He'd turned on her in an instant and tossed her out like a piece of trash; just how would he treat their daughter? The chances were she wouldn't look very much like him or his new wife or any of the other children around her. The baby would most likely resemble her Vietnamese heritage; how would they feel about that? She knew his mother had always despaired over the "mixed marriage." How would her in-laws treat the baby?

"Are you all right?" Billy asked, coming up from behind her. Despite his divorce from Cestria, he often sat in as a proxy at Assembly meetings for the Aquitian Rangers, but he had turned around when he saw her wandering down the hall. He felt incredibly guilty about missing dinner with her. He only noticed her pages after his computerized assistant reminded him it was time to attend the assembly.

She smiled at him. "Just thinking." She said quietly.

"You sure?" He asked gently placing an arm around her waist. It was a casual gesture, not meant to be anything more than a gesture of friendship and support. But as Trini looked up, she looked closely at him for the first time since she had returned to Angel Grove. He looked older, she thought sadly. The years of illness and stress had not been kind to him. His hair was graying some and his eyes and forehead were lined. Yet, his blue eyes were sharp and bright and he still had the aura of a young man.

He wasn't that un-similar in features to her ex; the differences were minor. Geirge had been tall, where Billy was of medium height. Billy's hair and eyes were darker, but he was still blond and blue eyed. Trini was Vietnamese, it was very doubtful her daughter would have many of her father's features anyway, but if she did…and if people already thought Billy was the baby's father…at least she'd know he'd treat her better…

"You know the rumors that have been circulating about me?" she asked and he cursed under his breath.

"Your divorce is a public record, once you turn over the genetic test showing your husband is the father, it will all stop."

"What if I don't turn over that test?" She asked. He frowned, but didn't answer.

"What if…" she paused, half of her not believing she was actually going to say it out loud. "What if I say I don't know who the father is?" she whispered. "What if I said it was someone else?"

Billy stared at her for a moment, then gently grabbed her arm and led her into a small conference room.

"What are you saying?" He asked intently, pulling out a chair for her and taking one himself.

"If I claim him as the father of my daughter, it'll never be over." She struggled to find the right words to tell him what she was feeling. She felt betrayed, abused, and deeply hurt by her ex. She wanted him out of her life forever.

"He slept with me the night before he kicked me out." She admitted. "Do you have any idea how incredibly angry I am about that? That's probably when it happened. I had a sonogram the day before and there was nothing there; suddenly, two weeks later I'm pregnant?" She paused and took a deep breath. "He doesn't want me. He tossed me out like I was no better than a used piece of furniture. Why should I have to deal with him the rest of my life? I know the way Kim's father has treated her, do I really want that for my daughter? She'll have to shuttle back and forth the rest of her life, always being the daughter of his other wife. I don't want that for her." her voice had taken on a slightly hysterical edge.

"Trini, you're going to have to name a father."

"Why?" Trini asked. "She's mine, no one else's. He was a donor, nothing more."

"You've already told the lawyers you're pregnant. Your ex husband has already expressed an interest in the genetic report. His attorney is waiting for it tomorrow."

"What if it's inconclusive?"

"Trini…"

"I work in a maximum security, intergalactic, scientific facility. Are you telling me documents aren't altered before they reach non-secure levels?" she asked. "Especially the medical records of the refugees passing through here?"

"Are you asking me to forge that test?"

Trini's shoulders slumped. "No." she said quietly. "I'm sorry. It was a crazy idea. I made my bed, I'll live with it."

Billy was silent for so long that it made her nervous. She looked up to find him studying her intently.

"Am I such a bad person?" she asked, a tear running down her cheek. He reached out and gently brushed it away.

"No." He said.

"I'm a former Power Ranger." She said. "Power Rangers don't exactly lie do they?"

Billy chuckled and she looked up and met his eyes. "Zordon used to tell me that the truth is only a matter of perception. Kim utilizes that same philosophy, it's driving Tommy insane."

He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes, grappling with an inner dilemma. On the one hand, he had an obligation to the truth. On the other, it would suit him just fine if Trini never had contact with her ex again. He wasn't the only one who had seen the results of that test. Manx had seen it. He seriously doubted Kat would say anything if he chose to aid Trini in her deception. But, as he obviously knew the truth, did he have any moral obligation to the father of Trini's child? She was right, the man had tossed her out in favor of a woman he'd had an extramarital affair with. It had turned out Geirge an had never been faithful to Trini, keeping mistresses both in Switzerland and in his father's home country of Sweden. But if he, Billy, were the father of a child, wouldn't he want to know? He sighed again, that was a highly unlikely scenario.

"If I was the father." He said gently, "I would want to know I had a child."

"Because you're a good man. You would never have tossed me out like that in the first place." She countered.

He smiled behind his hand. No, if he had been Trini's husband he would never have done that. He was going to make it up to her. As soon as she was ready, he was going to tell her how much he adored her. He was going to spoil both her and her daughter until no thoughts remained about the life she left behind. He was actually starting to look forward to this baby. It was something he'd never have the opportunity… he stopped. He was planning on raising this child with her. It never occurred to him not too. Was the donor concept of hers too farfetched? It wasn't honest, but was it really so far off the mark? If he was ever to consider having children, he'd have to consider a donor anyway.

"You want me to claim the baby is mine?" He asked seriously.

Trini panicked, it was what she'd been thinking, but hearing it said out loud made it seem even more far-fetched. Billy had been very good to her; this would be more than taking advantage of his generosity. This was life long, not something to view as a quick fix.

"Billy…no. It isn't fair to you, I let my imagination get the best of me when I heard those rumors."

"That's not what I asked. Do you want me take responsibility, legally, for this child?"

"You and Geirge have similar physical characteristics..." She admitted. "It's not like..." She hurried on, "I wouldn't ask for money, you wouldn't have to do anything, I wouldn't hold you responsible. It could just be an agreement."

He held a hand up and she stopped. Taking her hands in his, he edged the chair closer so that their knees were almost touching. "I can't have my own children." He explained, choosing his words carefully, "It's the result of the condition that sent me to Aquitar for treatment." He paused, searching for the courage to continue. "There is nothing in this universe that I desire more than to help you raise this child." He said finally, taking a huge, deep breath. He was completely out of his element. Emotions were far removed from scientific fact; they unsettled him. He was at a loss to express the depth of his feelings and paused, his chest tightening

"You've been such a good friend to me." Trini said earnestly, squeezing his hands. "I know it's not fair to you. I appreciate this so much, you have no idea…"

"I want to do this Trini," He said, interrupting her. "But I was also wondering, if we raise this child together… do you think…perhaps…one day… could you possibly conceive of a… non-platonic perception of me?" He asked hoarsely.

"What?" She asked, her brow creasing a little. Billy's heart sank.

"Nothing," he said "Forget I mentioned it. Of course I'll help you Trini, I'll assist you in any way possible. I desire nothing in return except the chance to spoil your daughter." He smiled weakly and stood up. "If you think it's appropriate, perhaps she could even refer to me by a paternal name?"

Trini stared at Billy. It was the first time since she'd returned that he was actually acting like the Billy she had known in school. The Billy she worked with was a confident scientist, a far cry from the socially uncertain boy she had known.

"What did you just ask me?" she asked, standing up and moving toward him. He turned away and she moved so he would have to look at her.

"If I claim to be the father, do you think she could call me dad?" He said hopefully, phrasing his words a bit more simply.

"No, before that. By a non-platonic perception, do you mean would I think of you as more than a friend?"

He nodded, but didn't look at her. His heart was crushed. It was physical sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. He had moved far too soon. He had just hoped, given the situation…

"We've been friends for so long, why would you ask me this now?"

He shook his head, "I spoke out of turn." He said quietly. "I'll help you Trini. That's all that needs to be said. I won't ask for reciprocation."

Trini wasn't sure what propelled her to act. He was hurting; she saw it in his eyes. This man who had been so good to her for the last few weeks. Her friend. The one who, for as long as she could remember, had always been there for her. She recognized the loneliness in his face, the uncertainty that lurked not so very far below the surface wall he showed the rest of the world. The man who had just said he was willing to lie for her, to accept her child and raise it as his own. She threw her arms around him and kissed him full on the lips.

* * *

Teeg slightly adjusted the controls on the transporter device. A few more seconds and her emissary would arrive. She had minor doubts about removing him from his previous assignment. She despised him, but he was necessary. She smiled silkily, just a few more moments… 


	6. Chapter 6: Home Again Part 2

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Home Again Part Two.**

The Rangers aren't children anymore and home has a very different definition for them.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

**_All events in The Coins take place in an alternate dimension._**

* * *

Tommy marched Kimberly down the hall and into a small meeting room, finally sitting her down in a chair in the front, facing the rest of the room. The room itself was tiny and nondescript. The seats were on a steep slant, three steps high, with two rows of five chairs on either side of the divide. Each chair had a little folding table, like the ones you see in a college classroom, and at the front of the room was a small speaker's podium with chairs on either side. 

"Sit." He said firmly, pushing her down into one of the chairs by the podium and ignoring her glare. He turned and walked back toward the entrance. Turning back around, he pointed a stern finger at her. "I'll be right back. You stay put."

She shot him her most evil glare, but he ignored her and hurried back out of the room.

"Serves you right." Jason commented from the other side of the podium. She turned her look on him. "Oh…yeah," Jason continued on, ignoring her. "I hope you don't mind, I told Tommy the only way to keep you from running off through one of your portals was to hang on to you…real tight." He grinned evilly at her, absently chewing a pencil.

"Traitor." She growled.

"Kimberly!"

Kim looked up to see Cole Evans bounding toward her and realized for the first time that the Red Assembly meant all the reds would probably be present. She kicked herself mentally, it was stupid of her not to realize he'd be here. She liked Cole, she'd seen a lot of him in Turtle Cove, but he kind of gave her the impression of an overly large golden retriever. He had boundless energy, except when he was passed out sound asleep on her lawn, he was always hungry, and he always approached her as if she was the long lost friend that he hadn't seen in ages.

She stood up so he wouldn't knock over her chair in his enthusiasm and he picked her up in a huge bear hug. Setting her down, he placed two hands on either side of her shoulders. The smile, which had been so big at his greeting, was immediately replaced by a very serious look.

"Where are the plants?" He asked firmly.

"What is this, maul Kim night?" she growled, shaking off his hands. "They're in Billy's lab behind two force fields." She answered. At his overly visible relief she added, "What? You think I'd just leave them unprotected?"

"I was up at your house last night." Cole explained. "It's all closed up and there's a For Rent sign out front."

"What plants?" Jason asked, still chewing his pencil.

"None of your damn business what plants." She fired back at him. "And I'm not speaking to you." She added. "Ever again."

"I'm crushed," He drolled in response. Kim was up to something again. Since when was she best buddies with the Wild Force red of all people? He made a mental note to find out more.

"So they're safe?" Cole asked again.

Kim nodded, "Of course they are. I gave you my word. Nothing's going to get to them. As soon as Billy confirms the data I collected, I'll seal them behind an inner dimensional gate."

"Those must be some plants." Jason added.

Kim turned and scowled at him, noticing when she turned back that there was someone behind Cole chuckling. She raised an eyebrow and Cole quickly introduced them.

"Kimberly, this is Wes and Eric, the Silver Guardians. Guys, this is Kim, she's uh…" Cole paused; he wasn't sure how to answer. He knew she had been a Ranger for a long time and he was pretty sure she was some type of a dimensional guardian. She had an animal spirit that she called her Ninjetti power, and he knew of at least two instances where she'd charged a morpher for him and Merrek. "She's uh…" He repeated.

"A handful." Tommy muttered, walking back to the podium area. "Cole go take your seat, we're going to start." He turned briefly to the audience as he passed her. "Conner get your foot off the chair, this isn't a classroom."

Kimberly was vaguely amused at how the quickly other reds in the room moved when Tommy told them to do something. Tommy was in what Kim had started to call danger mode. It was a serious, deadly kind of aura, which he actually pulled off rather well. She had a hard time taking it seriously, but the reds apparently did.

They weren't afraid of him, as most people at NASADA were, but they didn't question him either. As she stood, purposely rooted to her spot, the three turned and walked back to their seats, the one named Eric still chuckling her. She fixed her scowl on him and allowed her eyes to glow softly red. He stopped chuckling and stared back, openly measuring her. She smiled evilly and moved slowly to the other side of the podium next to Jason and away from Tommy. Jason snorted and she kicked him.

"If everyone will take their seats." Tommy directed from the podium, "We have a lot to cover tonight."

Watching him, Kim had a clear mental image of him as a teacher. She wasn't quite sure what Tommy saw in teaching. As a grad student, she had taught one lab and had vowed never to do it again; but she knew he genuinely enjoyed it.

"I'd like to get through this as quickly as possible." Tommy continued, "If we can take a quick note of who's not here and pass along the information …"

As Tommy went through the various formalities, Kim found herself becoming more and more interested. There was a lot happening in the galaxies, far more than she would have given credit to. Her search for Zordon and the coins had narrowed her vision a bit.

She knew that there were rumblings of the wars starting up again, but she hadn't paid much attention. Tommy had always been better at seeing the big picture. She had to give him credit; he was banding the reds together, keeping them up to date and involved in more than just their own circles of influence. When the time came, Earth's sector of space just might be ready to face the outside universe.

"Karone will give us an update on that later." Tommy continued and Kim realized her mind had wandered. "Right now, I'm going to introduce you to Kimberly Hart."

At the sound of her name, her head jerked up and she wondered what the hell was he doing.

"Kim isn't a stranger to most of you, she's been a Ranger on and off our world for a long time," He paused, a slight self-satisfied smile just barely cracking his stern mask. An instant later it was gone. "She's also well acquainted with the Nova Rangers, a group we've been trying to get information on for a while now." He paused and allowed himself to give her a briefly triumphant look as the rest of the room murmured and sat up a bit more in attention. "And she's the current Zeo One for the Angel Grove conflict." He finished.

Kim didn't think it was possible to hate Tommy. Not even when he was rumored to have asked Kat to marry him. Right now, in this second, she absolutely despised him.

"So," Tommy continued, "Since Kim is the resident expert on the new villains we apparently share with the Novas, I'm going to turn things over to her and she can explain what's going on in Angel Grove."

A long painful silence ensued during which she just stared at him. He collected his notes, moved away from the podium and sat down on the other side Jason.

"If you had bothered to attend the pre-meeting, you would have known I was going to ask you to speak." He said quietly, giving her a hard look.

He and Jason had talked at length about introducing Kim as a former Nova or not. As far as he was concerned, she was retired and fair game, but the Novas were an active team and he respected that. He had also bowed to Jason's advice not to introduce her as a red. There would be time for that later and introducing her against her will would probably not go over very well.

Tommy kept the Reds organized, but they still operated independently. Each was responsible to update the others on their conflicts. Kim had fought Teeg before and was the one who had briefed him about the new Rita and Lord Zedd. It was her job, not his, to educate the Assembly. As she hadn't bothered to come to the preliminary meeting, she was just going to have to get over it.

Kim stood up slowly, running one hand through her hair, and pushing it away from her face. She looked out over the audience, nodding briefly at Rocky, who had chosen a seat close to the door. He had a date with Carri afterwards and planned to bolt just as soon as the meeting adjourned. He nodded back and grinned. He had seen the way Tommy marched her in. Kim resisted the urge to grin back and continued to scan the room. There were only eight other Rangers in the audience, most of whom she already knew. It certainly wasn't the largest crowd she'd addressed. During her Pan Games tour she'd faced shopping malls full of people. She could easily do this.

"First off, I'm not answering any questions about the Novas. The team is still active, I'll ask you all to respect that." There were some nods of agreement and she settled down a bit. Besides, it wasn't as if she hadn't already admitted being the pink Nova Ranger to some of them. "However, as some of you already know, one of the Nova's enemies has decided to follow me back to Earth."

Kimberly roughly sketched out her conflicts with Teeg, not going into much detail, but a little more than she'd discussed with Tommy. Disclosing just a little more than she'd privately confided was a way of tweaking him back, a tweak he didn't miss. This game they were playing was childish. They'd have to hash it out at some point, but for now she had too much going on. When she was done, Wesley held up a hand in question, she nodded to him.

"What's going on with the monster attacks. They've been held at exactly four o'clock every Wednesday for the last four weeks. That's not exactly been a normal pattern."

Kimberly smiled a bit. "Teeg's a strategist." She answered. "A brilliant one." She ran her hand absently through her hair, pushing it away once again from her face. "I've given a lot of thought as to what she could be up to. Everything has a reason, significance, with her. I get the impression she's toying with us, inducing a type of Pavlov response."

"What?" Eric asked.

"Pavlov discovered that if you ring a bell at the same time everyday and then feed a dog, the dog would start drooling when it heard the bell... Four o'clock Wednesday afternoon," Kim slapped her hands together making a large bang. "Monster attacks the city. Monday and Friday mornings," She clapped a bit softer, "Claybots in the city." She paused, looking directly at each of the Assembly members.

"She's toying with us, training us. If Earth is what she's really after, the attack isn't going to come on Wednesday at four and it's definitely not going to come via a cat litter monster." She said, indicating the most inane monster she'd ever fought. The sand blaster weapon it possessed had been tough, but it certainly wasn't disastrous.

"If Teeg really wants this planet she'll import a race like the Orgs and use them in multiple attacks across many continents. She'll start with the infra structure, poison the natural resources we need to survive, simultaneously disable the governments, and scatter the population. Divide and conquer."

"Are you serious?" Eric asked. Several of the Reds began shifting uncomfortably. This was what Tommy had warned about for years. To hear it coming from her was unsettling.

Kim half shrugged one shoulder. "That's what she did the last time she was out of captivity. But I seriously doubt Earth is her main target. She'll toy with us until she takes what she wants and then she'll be gone. Maybe she'll leave Rita and Zedd here, maybe she'll take them with her."

"And what is it she wants?' Conner asked, speaking for the first time. She looked over at him for the first time, recognizing his face from Tommy's histories. She knew Tommy was training him to take over certain duties, just as Zordon had trained him, but to her, he looked painfully young for the job.

"That's my problem." Kim said. "Not yours."

* * *

Carri slouched down on the couch and pulled a pillow in front of her with a little pout. She had waited two weeks for this night. Dinner was sitting ignored and cold on the table and things had been hot and heavy on the couch for more than a half an hour. The last thing she wanted to do right now was stop and talk. But Rocky had firmly called a halt to things so she took a deep breath and calmed down. 

It was her own fault. She'd initiated the make out session in lieu of dinner when he'd tried to bring up whatever it was on his mind before. She honestly didn't want to know. She'd been thinking about this night for weeks, if he said he was calling it quits and going back to his old girlfriend, she'd beat him up a hell of a lot worse than Marie had.

"I'm sorry," He said gently, understanding her frustration. His own was reaching critical levels. "Before this goes any further, I have to talk this out with you."

"Okay." Carri said casually, sinking lower and bringing the pillow up to her chin. "Go for it."

"We have more of a responsibility here than just you and me. Carri, when two Rangers hook up, it affects the whole team. When Kim and Tommy broke up, he was out of it for weeks, the whole team ended up involved. We need to be certain we know where we stand before this goes any further." He began.

Carri thought he was being a bit dramatic. This wasn't high school. She wasn't a little girl who was going to get her feelings crushed if things didn't work out. She'd yell and scream and probably kick the hell out of something, but it wouldn't affect her performance on the team. She sighed heavily. Patience was not her virtue. He's a nice guy, she reminded herself. She wanted someone in her life who would stick around longer than forty-eight hours.

"With everything going on with Marie and my family, I want to make absolutely certain we know what we're getting into before things get even more serious than they are now. No surprises, things need to be out in the open from day one." He tried to catch her eyes, but she was looking anywhere in the room except at him. Marie was making life a living hell for him. She would show up constantly at his school or at his mom's house and she had recruited his mom and his sisters and even Carri's cousin to her campaign to win him back. It had caused more than a little tension in his life. Now was not the time to start something serious with Carri, but he couldn't help himself. He was head over heels for her and the serious stuff hadn't even happened yet.

"Fine… Sure. Go for it." She said.

Rocky sat back down on the couch, this time careful to keep one cushion length away from her. He'd sat too close last time and a half an hour later they were headed for her bedroom. He had known her for only a few weeks, but in some ways, it was like they'd been together for much longer. After everything Marie had put him through, he wanted to be absolutely sure he and Carri understood one another.

"You need to know how important my family is to me."

Carri nodded. "Yep."

"I'm serious Carri. I know you don't agree with how much time and energy I spend on them…"

"It's not that I don't agree," Carri interrupted, "I just think they take huge advantage of you."

Every time they seemed to find a moment alone, his mom or one of his brothers and sisters would call. Someone always seemed to need money or something always needed to be fixed and it just didn't seem to her like they appreciated what they had. They would call or stop by at all hours of the day or night… and all of them had made it very clear they didn't like her.

Rocky worked his butt off and made a ton of money, but they soaked it up as if he made twice what he actually did. This morning he'd ranted and raved over his sister's complaints that she'd be able to get a better car if he hadn't quit his other job. It obviously bothered him, but he never did anything about it.

Money itself didn't bother Carri, she was more than well off all by herself. She didn't want Rocky spending on her, she didn't need it, it was the attitude his family seemed to have. Carri had endured the financial trauma of being cut off by her father and had conquered life head on ever since. She had very little patience with dependant people. It wasn't like all his siblings were kids anymore. The youngest was thirteen and the oldest two were over twenty-one and employed full time. Yet, in the six weeks she had known him, it had become very clear that Rocky worked only to support them and they worked only to support themselves. It was a huge one-way street and she bristled at it.

"Whatever your opinion," He said, a slight edge in his voice, "They're my family, my responsibility, and it's not going to change." He knew how she felt. In many ways, he felt the same way, but that didn't change his responsibilities.

Carri nodded and held her tongue. She was actually quite proud of herself for that feat. It didn't happen very often.

"I think you also understand why I broke things off with Marie."

Carri nodded again. "Because you were smothered." Silently she added that he was still smothered. How he had put up with it for so long she didn't know.

"I don't want to get married and start over with another family." He said honestly. "I really like you Carri, and I can see us being together, but you have to know going in that I'm not looking for that kind of commitment."

Carri stared at the ceiling, noticing for the first time there was a large crack running across the family room. It hadn't been there when she'd closed the sale on the condo. She wondered vaguely which monster had done it. "Me neither." She answered absently. God, a family was the last thing she wanted. If he didn't get that by now, maybe he was the one in for a shock. It was unnerving. He was being way too open and honest with her. It was too soon in the relationship to start talking about this. Maybe in a few weeks after the sex had calmeded down, but on the way into the bedroom? It was weird. She understood it, but it was still weird. Was this what nice guys did? She honestly didn't know.

"I just want to make sure we're on the same page before this gets really serious. I don't want you to feel months or years from now that you wasted your time with me and didn't get the commitment you wanted."

Carri snorted, nose behind the pillow. So that was what this was all about. She was definitely not Marie, but she understood why he'd bring it up. The truth was, he was way more the commitment type than she was, but it wasn't something she was going to bring up just now. He was trying to be a good guy. She doubted this was a fling for him, but the chances were much better that he'd be the one to end up wanting more of a commitment than she could give.

Carri sat up a little straighter on the couch and turned towards him, still hugging the pillow to her chest. "I think we're on the same page." She said after a few seconds. "Look, Rocky, I really like you, God knows I've had more fun in the last couple of weeks than…well, in a long time." She paused, thinking over what to say or leave unsaid.

"You want me to be honest? Marriage is the last thing you have to worry about from me..." She let go of the pillow and ran her fingers through her long hair, tucking one side behind her ear.

"I understand this whole thing with Marie and your mom freaked you out. I get it, you weren't exactly clear with her and now she's gone psycho, but I'm not the kind of girl who dreams of being the princess in white with a dozen bridesmaids in tow. Hell, I was the one who walked out on my wedding and left my dad with thirty thousand dollars in lost deposits and stuff…that in itself should speak volumes." She gave him a tentative smile and took a huge breath. "As for the baby thing… I'm twenty-eight, not thirty-eight. I think the idea of kids is great, I mean I do like other people's little kids, and I'm not ruling out that maybe in ten years I might want one…but… oh God." She moaned, bringing her arm up and leaning her forehead into her hand. She couldn't believe she was actually having this conversation. She had been anticipating a great night of sex, not soul searching.

"Ok look." She said, turning back to him. "I know Marie was all about marriage and babies, but I'm about as opposite as you can get from her. I've worked really hard the last few years and I'm really proud of the fact that I don't need anyone to take care of me…and…honestly? The idea of having…uh, well" she took her hands and arced them over her stomach, indicating a bulge, "The idea of something growing in me is kinda creepy." She rushed on. "That sounds incredibly self centered and horrible and I'm sorry…but it's true. Not that I might not change my mind," she couched, "Eventually…. But I still kinda feel the same way about it as I did when my ex talked about having kids eight years ago." She finished in a rush and bit her lip.

"If I'm going to be completely honest," she said a bit more slowly, " I'm not so sure I'd even make such a good mother. I'm a lot like my own mom, as much as that pains me to admit it, and I just can't see having the perfect two kids scenario only to hand them over to a nanny until they're old enough to do lunch. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it makes sense." Rocky said softly and gave her a little half smile. They were in the same place, just coming at it from different angles. He reached out and placed a hand on top of hers.

"Does that make me a bad person?" Carri asked.

He shook his head. "No. I understand where you're coming from."

"I really like you." Carri said honestly, "But you have to know, with me, what you see is what you get. I don't play games or try to manipulate people. I grew up in New York. I'll tell it like it is." She smiled tightly and squeezed his hand. "Please tell me we're done with the whole verbal bonding thing."

"We're done." He said scooting closer to her.

"Thank God." She said dramatically. "You have absolutely no idea how far out of my comfort zone I am right now.

He grinned, sliding one arm behind her back and removing the pillow from in front of her the other hand. He leaned in and kissed her, bringing his free hand from her knee up to her waist."

"It wasn't such a bad conversation, was it?" He whispered, pulling back an inch.

"Painful actually." She said plainly. That was an understatement, she thought. Not that she wasn't empathetic, but Jesus, it wasn't like they were moving in together. The whole thing had been unnecessary. But if it made him feel better…

"Did I completely kill the mood?"

"Yes." She said firmly, then grinned wickedly at him. "But you can make it up to me." She placed both arms around his neck and pulled him down on the couch.

* * *

Early the next morning, Kimberly shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She hadn't been this nervous in years. Not even standing beneath the uneven bars at the Pan Games. The bars weren't her specialty, but she had rehearsed the hell out of her routine. Here she was flying blind. Her Uncle Steve was thrilled that she'd found another investor, so thrilled he'd quickly backed out of the whole deal. He wasn't even present at today's auction. Michael had shrugged it off, he was excited…curse or no curse. 

She nervously fingered the pre-qualification papers, pulling the corners down and then smoothing them out again. To add an extra touch of drama, her grandfather's property was number thirteen on the docket. She silently hoped that would stave off a few more bidders who were willing to overlook _Heartland_'s curse in favor of the second property. It wasn't just the people in the room she had to worry about, there were online and telephone bidders as well. There was no minimum bid, which surprised her, but Michael laughed it off as a testament to how desperate the bank was to get rid of it.

Kim took a deep, shaking breath and let it out slowly. It was just after ten in the morning and no sign of Claybots. She doubted the others would need her help. The last few Fridays had been relatively minor. However, with her luck, Rita and Zedd would change the battle plan and a monster would attack the Lake District, forcing her to leave the auction.

For the past six weeks she'd dangled Jason's power coin in front of Teeg, but she'd refused to bite. Kim was making it appear too easy for her, she knew that. Teeg was probably baffled and wondering what hidden motive she had. Kimberly had no intention of actually making it easy for Teeg to steal that coin, she just wanted her to go after Jason's instead of Adam's. Kim had sent both Jason and Tommy to talk to Adam and get him to release his coin, but he wouldn't do it. In the scheme of things, it didn't matter which coin Teeg captured, just as long as she left Earth with one of them. But Teeg was not someone you wanted to go up against alone if you could help it. Kim fretted over what she'd do to Adam if he resisted giving up his coin… and Adam would definitely resist.

Kim silently prayed that the Mystic Mother was right. Everything depended on Teeg capturing one of the replacement coins … and not discovering it was a copy of the original. That was asking a lot, but it would buy them time. Why Teeg hadn't used the Dragonzord coin to create another evil green Ranger, Kim wasn't sure. Teeg played by her own rules and in her own time. It would happen, Kim knew that, she just didn't know when or where.

She shifted in her seat as another property auction closed for a ridiculously high amount of money. So much for the housing slump, she thought ruefully. It was going to be a long morning.

* * *

Carri was equally nervous, but for a completely different reason. She and Rocky had spent a wonderful night together. He'd left early that morning to help his brother and for some reason, she hadn't gone back to sleep. She desperately wanted things to work out between them, now more than ever. She'd never felt like this before, it was like she was walking around drunk. She was giddy, and numb, and extremely happy…except for the fact that Rocky's family hated her. That one fact nipped at her painfully. Their non-acceptance of her was a dangerous wedge between them. 

She'd gone ahead and risen early to talk things over with Kim, but her roommate was nowhere to be found. If she'd come home at all, she'd been up before daylight and left the condo. Carri assumed either Kim was giving her an extra amount of privacy, or she'd spent the night at her brother's in anticipation of the morning's auction.

Over three cups of coffee, Carri had mulled over what to do. She couldn't talk to her cousin, Kat was as much against the relationship as Rocky's mom. Calling her own mom was out of the question. He mother wasn't a good source for relationship counseling. Besides, she was on her way to Europe.

Somewhere between the second and third cup of coffee, she decided that Rocky's family hated her because they didn't know her. She'd met Rocky's sister once, but she was a silly little thing who'd gone to school with Marie. She'd stuck her nose in the air and refused to speak with her.

Decision made, Carri dressed and hopped in her car. The driveway at Rocky's mother's house was full of cars, so she circled back and parked down the street a little. Actually getting out of the car had taken a good ten minutes. He legs were like Jell-O and she could feel herself trembling as she walked slowly up the front sidewalk.

She didn't have to knock, the door opened automatically. The woman on the other side of the door was younger than Carri thought she'd be. She was an attractive woman. Her face, Carri thought, was one used to laughter, but one that had also seen its share of disappointments. She wasn't much taller than Carri, and not over weight, but after six children, she was stockier. Her eyes, as she looked Carri over, were cold and hard. Carri was obviously not expected and not welcome.

"Mrs. DeSantos?" Carri asked a bit hesitantly. The woman nodded sharply once, but didn't answer. "I'm Carri." She said hesitantly holding out her hand. "Carri Hillard."

"I know who you are." Isabelle DeSantos said coldly, not accepting her hand. "What do you want?"

"I…uh…I thought maybe we could talk." Carri said.

"I have nothing what-so-ever to say to you."

"I thought maybe we could get to know each other." Carri offered

"I don't need to get to know you." Isabelle laughed. "You're obviously not important enough for my son bother introducing you to me, so why would you think to come here by yourself."

This actually wasn't quite true. Rocky had been trying for weeks to get his mother to meet Carri, but Isabelle had flatly refused. She didn't want anything to do with Carri. Marie was the girl she had chosen for her son and Carri was nothing more than a man stealer.

Isabelle knew full well what it was like to have a man stolen and in the last six weeks her imagination had built Carri into everything that was wrong with the female race. The girl before her didn't disappoint. In Isabelle's eyes, she was painfully thin with far too much makeup on her face. Her clothing probably cost more than Isabelle made in a week and was just as suggestive as she anticipated would be.

"Oh I know your type." Isabelle sneered. "Miss high and mighty spoiled little rich girl. You think you can turn my son's head with your flashy clothes and credit cards. All you are is a man stealing little tramp."

Carri backed up a little as Isabelle stepped out onto the front stoop. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but not this angry little woman in front of her. Rocky had said he was trying to get her together with his family, was that true or was his mother right? Insecurity nibbled at her and she was suddenly very sorry that she'd come.

"You don't know anything about me, you never met me before a few seconds ago."

" I know women like you. You toss around your money and the boys just coming flocking. Well I've got news for you, my son is a good boy. He'll see right through you any day now and realize what he's done. Then he'll dump you like the whore you are."

Carri stared at her for a moment, stunned by her language and her verbal assault. "How dare you." She replied evenly, trying her hardest not to let her temper loose. It wouldn't serve any purpose to get angry and she refused to do it. But at the same time, Carri had never run from a fight in adult her life. She wasn't going to just turn around and run. "Rocky says you're a good person, but you haven't even tried to know what I'm like… And every dime I have is because I worked my ass off to get it. I don't take one penny from my father."

"Spare me the dramatics. You've worked jobs your daddy gave you, not like the rest of us who dig and scrape for every penny we can pile together."

Carri ground her teeth together. _She would not get angry, she would not loose her temper, this was important damnit, she would not get angry…_

"I was stupid to think we could talk this out." She said, frustrated. "Nothing I can say or do is going to make a bit of difference to you is it?"

"I know what you are," Isabelle snarled. "And I'm going to make damn sure my son knows it too. I'm not about to let him ruin his life over you."

"Your son has a mind of his own. He'll make his own decisions." Carri replied. At least she hoped he would.

"My son knows his duty to his family. " Isabelle fired back. "He will never choose you over us and I'm going to make it very clear that it's one or the other."

Carri's fists clenched by her sides. There was a fine line to be drawn here. On the one hand, she desperately needed to be diplomatic. On the other, if she didn't stand up to Rocky's mom now, she'd have no hope of doing so in the future.

"Do you even care about what he wants?" She snapped, with a bit more acid in her voice than she had wanted.

"I love my son far too much to let him ruin his life over something like you. Never underestimate the power of motherly love." Isabelle warned

Carri squared her shoulders and faced off against Rocky's mother. Diplomacy or not, she wasn't going to just simply run away with her tail between her legs. It had been a huge mistake to come here. Probably the stupidest thing she'd ever done, but Carri also had a side to this and she was going to make damn sure Rocky's mom knew she was in for a fight. At the very least, the one thing she could do was wipe that self-satisfied smirk off her face.

"How about, instead of calling me a whore and a man stealer you take a good long look at yourself in the mirror. That man is not your husband. He's your son. You let him take over this family and work two and three jobs to pay the mortgage and put your children through school, while they turn around and spend their salaries on no one but themselves… all the while complaining he doesn't do enough for them. When was the last time you remembered they aren't his responsibility, but yours?" Two of Rocky's sisters had come to the door and were glaring at her. She looked each of them in the eyes as she spoke, then turned her glare directly on Mrs. DeSantos.

"You let him give up his childhood way before he had to. Why? Because _you _were scared."Carri took a deep breath, willing herself to stop, but Rocky was the best thing that had ever happened to her. If his mom was going to force him to choose, then she'd damn well get her point across before the battle for him started. It was his mom that shouldn't underestimate her. "…Then you turn around and try to cram a girl he didn't want down his throat, because you know damn well she's the kind who won't take your control over him away from you. You aren't showing him _motherly love_; you're protecting your own interests. You're shackling him to you for the rest of your natural life because you're too damn selfish to let him go. You're going to ruin his life just like you ruined yours, so you can sit back at the end of the day and have the satisfaction that you didn't let him get very far. I don't know how the hell you can face yourself. No wonder your husband bolted."

Carri turned and stormed down the street. She slammed the car door shut behind her and took off before anyone could follow her, not that anyone would. She was shaking with excess adrenalin and tears steamed down her face. Mrs. DeSantos was right, Rocky always put his family first, he'd made that very clear to her, but at this point she didn't care. That woman's apron strings were tied with barbed wire. Nothing was going to cut them, but she was damn sure going die to trying.

She was about two blocks away when her communicator went off. She let out a slightly hysterical laugh as she pulled over and parked the car. This was the last thing she needed. The claybots had held off all morning. She was already beyond angry, maybe it was the perfect time to kick some ugly ass. She wiped her eyes and sniffed, it beat crying anyway.

* * *

But it wasn't claybots Carri found herself in front of when she transported, fully morphed, to the coordinates Billy sent her. "Did someone forget to tell this creep to check the calendar?" Carri yelled as she joined the guys in downtown Angel Grove. "Last time I checked it was Friday, not Wednesday." 

The monster was already up to city crushing size, so they had apparently been at it for a while. The thing looked like a bad combination of a squid and a rabbit, if you could actually blend those two. Each of the suction cupped tentacles shot missiles that covered the ground with a black inky tar and the stupid thing hopped from street to street. It had a squid like beak, which opened and closed rhythmically and huge glowing red eyes. Two large rabbit ears swayed rhythmically out of sync with the mouth while a large alligator like tale took out several buildings.

"What's your name ugly?" Carri shouted from behind her helmet, "Inkstigator? How about Squabbit?"

"Carri, quit egging on the monster." Tommy shouted at her. "We need the zords. Where the hell is Kim?" Of all days for the pattern to brake, he thought ruefully. Kim was right downtown in the middle of the monster's carnage and no one had heard from her.

"She's not answering her communicator." Billy's calm voice said over the wire. "And I can't get a good fix on her. The signal's sporadic and appears to be coming from directly beneath the target zone. The monsters radiation outbursts must be interfering with the frequency of her communicator."

"Keep trying." Tommy called back. He always tried very hard not to worry about the female Rangers, but political correctness aside, he always did. The fact that Kim wasn't responding didn't sit well with him.

"I'm working on boosting the signal now." Billy said.

"Kim doesn't need the Command Center to transport. If she knows there's a monster outside, she'll be here." Jason said as he re-grouped with the others. "Mike's with her, she's probably getting him to safety and then she'll join us."

"We can't wait." Tommy said. "Call the zords, Kim'll have to catch up when she can."

"Let's do it." Rocky said.

* * *

Kim's hands began to sweat as auction number twelve closed. It was just past noon and she hadn't been paged yet. Maybe the fight was long over and they just hadn't called her. She silently hoped that was true. She wished she could slip out and check-in on her communicator, but she didn't dare. 

As the auctioneer began the formalities to start lot thirteen, several members of the audience stood and quickly cleared the room.

"Looks like most don't even want to be present for the sale itself." Michael said, scanning the room. All but about ten other people had left. "Better for us I guess."

Kim nodded, but didn't say anything. Her heart was pounding so heavily in her chest she thought it would burst. She listened as best she could as her brother explained the format of the auction. It would be sold in acres, so any bid would have to be multiplied by two hundred and thirty-six. There were also back taxes on the land, land trust issues, and several other details that made her head spin. She really didn't care, she wanted this auction over with.

Formalities completed, the auctioneer began the bidding at fifty thousand. Kim started to bid, but Michael held her hand down. When no one spoke up, the auctioneer lowered the bid. There were a few chuckles as no one responded.

"_Heartland_'s curse has caught up with it." Someone snickered and a few others laughed with him until the room began to shake violently. Kim was tossed out of her seat, her brother on top of her. The lights blinked a few times and then darkened as dust from the old ceiling tiles rained down on them.

"Monster attack!" Someone ran into the room shouting. "Evacuate the building immediately!" The man turned and ran as the building shook violently again and nearly everyone in the audience ran after him. A high-rise in the middle of Angel Grove was no place to be when a monster attacked.

"Kim come on!" her brother shouted as the building swayed and the florescent lights began to fall around them. The auction simply wasn't worth it.

"No!" Kim shouted, and broke free of her brother's grip. He gave her a frustrated look, but headed out of the room without her. He felt a twinge of guilt at leaving her behind, but he'd survived too many monster attacks as a kid to let his sister get him killed now.

Kim ran to the auctioneer, who had emerged from his hiding place and was bolting before the entire building collapsed. She grabbed his arm and swung him around.

"Finish the auction!" she demanded. Her communicator sounded and she ignored it.

"Are you crazy?" the auctioneer asked her.

"Finish the damn auction!" She yelled over the thunderous noise outside. The battle must have been going on for a while. The zords were already outside fighting. The building shook again and her communicator paged a second time.

"There are no bids! It's a dead auction… No-one's stupid enough to by that land!" He screamed a high pitch wail as the building took a direct hit and they both fell to the floor.

"One dollar!" Kim shouted with all her effort over the sound of metal zords creaking outside. What possessed her to bid something so outrageous, she honestly didn't know, but it apparently worked. The man stopped panicking and stared at her incredulously. The windows smashed in and glass went flying. Her communicator sounded a third time, this time the code for red alert. The girl was obviously insane, he decided. He looked over to see the bank's representative crawl out from under a table.

"Close the auction!" The banker screamed, "Close the auction!" In the last week alone his house had burnt down, his wife had an affair, he was about to lose his job, and his dog bit him. Now he was about to get crushed by a monster when monsters only seemed to attack on Wednesdays. He wanted that property gone and out of his life. If that girl was stupid enough to bid, she could have it. He didn't care what the price.

"What's your number?" The auctioneer yelled over the sound of straining engines. The building shook again and all three went flying.

"Two hundred -fourteen" Kim called back, spitting dust from her mouth and wiping her eyes.

The auctioneer grabbed a piece of fallen ceiling, and pounded it against the floor. "Sold to two-fourteen." He yelled. He pulled himself upright and ran from the room.

"Good luck young lady." The banker yelled, pulling himself up and staggering a bit as the building shook again. "You're going to need it." He turned and ran from the room as fast as he could, swaying in rhythm to the doomed building and thanking his lucky stars he was finished with the _Heartland_ property.

Kim grinned. She'd done it. She'd done it without anyone's help. The building shook again and she dropped to the floor, splitting her chin open. She wiped the blood on her hand and rolled away from a piece of falling ceiling. Her communicator chirped the emergency code again, but this time she answered it. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

* * *

Isabelle DeSantos watched her son's girlfriend as she marched down the block to her car and raced away. She was furious with the girl. How dare she come to her home and insult her like that. She turned and shooed the girls away from the door. 

"What a bitch." Donita commented.

"Watch your mouth." Isabelle reprimanded her.

"Can you believe she just came here?" Ileana asked, arms crossed in front of her in imitation of her older sister. "What nerve."

Isabelle swallowed hard. "My head hurts. I'm going to my room to lay down. You two go get lunch ready for your brothers when they get home." She turned and walked slowly up the stairs to her room, closing the door behind her.

Bitch was hardly the word to describe that girl. She was vicious, rude, and horrible… Isabelle shook her head as she laid down. What had Rocky gotten himself into? Marie was such a sweet girl, such a good choice, and what does he do? He goes out and finds something like that. Well, that little thing had something coming if she thought she could steal Rocky away from his family.

The girl had brass. Isabelle would give her that, she thought as she laid down on her bed. She hadn't forced her son to give up his childhood. Rocky had been seventeen, almost grown, when his father left them. The same age she'd been when she'd gotten pregnant with him. That thought made her pause a bit. How much of a child had she been when she'd gotten married? Her mother had cried for weeks. Isabelle had gotten pregnant on purpose. Her parents had forbidden her from seeing her boyfriend again and she'd been desperate to keep him. It had been very foolish of her.

She closed her eyes tightly and banished the memory. What was done was done. In the eighteen years she'd lived with her husband, she'd been pregnant or nursing nearly the entire time. Her husband had been a good lover, if nothing else, but she had refused his attempts to control the number of children they had. She argued that she had flaunted church law once by getting pregnant in the first place; she wouldn't do it again. She also felt the children would bind her to him. Yet, with each child he'd grown more and more detached. One day he had walked out the door and never come back. Carri's words echoed in her head. _No wonder your husband bolted_. The girl didn't know what she was talking about.

For twenty-eight years Isabelle had run her family. For the last eleven, she was both mother and father to her children. There was no way in hell she'd let them make the same mistakes she had. Marie had indicated that her relationship with her son was a physical one. Isabelle accepted this, they were young, but Rocky was not going to simply leave her for another pretty girl if that's what they had been up to. He owed Marie that much.

Isabelle thought about her son. There wasn't much of his father in him. He was like her; strong, responsible, and a caretaker of the family. They depended on him a great deal. She would have never been able to raise the other five without his help. His younger brothers were wild like their father had been. They drove large trucks, with stupid large tires, and listened to loud music. Carri had been right about that, they didn't help at all with the other children. But, then again, she'd never expected them to.

She expected more from Rocky. Yet, ever since that girl came along, it was as if he avoided coming home anymore. She knew that Carri was back in town two nights ago, which was why she insisted he come over immediately and fix a pipe that had been leaking for weeks. The minute he'd arrived, the girls and Tony had assaulted him with the things they needed. Donita whined for an hour that she didn't want a used car because her friends at the high school all had new ones and her sister had chimed in that, if Rocky hadn't quit his second job, they would've been able to get her the car she wanted. Isabelle had chastised them all severely and sent them to their rooms, but she had seen the look on her son's face. It was the same look her husband had given her in the days just before he left. Last night he had refused to answer his cell phone and the boys said he was not at his new apartment, even though his car was parked in the lot.

Isabelle opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, blinking back a few tears. She'd gotten used to depending on Rocky. Maybe there was a little truth in the girl's remarks. Maybe she'd depended a bit too much on her son over the last few years.

* * *

Kim smiled smugly as she powered down in the new Command Center. Tommy had forbidden any of them from morphing anywhere near the target zones. There were simply too many cameras still following the monsters around. Apparently he'd been videotaped morphing in Reefside and he wasn't about to let that happen again. The others didn't mind. The fights tended to get nastier earlier, but they were also over quicker. 

"You're hurt." Tommy said, all but picking her up and depositing her on one of two medical beds. She frowned at him and then remembered her chin. She touched it lightly and felt the wet trickle of blood. She was covered head to toe in dust from the courthouse and the blood on her shirt had congealed with it, making it look far worse than it actually was.

"It's nothing." She said, waving him off, but he pushed her down and signaled to Billy. "It's a scratch." She insisted as Billy held a medical scanner under her chin. "I fell just before I transported."

"Stay still," Billy admonished as he switched the settings to clean and seal the wound. "You're right," he said, turning off the machine, "It's a scratch, you'll live."

"I should get back." She said, sliding off the table. "Michael will be searching for me. Damn, my cell phone is still dead," she commented absently, checking it's signal, "The tower must have been knocked out again."

"How'd the auction go?" Tommy asked, stopping her before she could get very far. They all turned toward her and she beamed.

"It's mine." She squealed. "All mine, and I didn't need anyone's help getting it." She flashed Tommy the biggest smile he'd seen from her in years and he smiled back despite himself.

"Oh my God." She said in a rush. "I better find that auctioneer and the banker before they change their minds…I gotta go." She turned and, in a flash of red light, disappeared from the room. Tommy turned to Jason and he gave him an indulgent look.

"I gotta go too." Carri said quietly, not really looking at anyone.

"What? No comments on how inane the monster was or how overkill all our prep work has been?" Jason asked. When Carri didn't comment or even look at him, he walked over to her and lifted her chin with the crook of his finger. "What's up sweetheart, you hurt?" he asked gently. If he was reading her right, she was scared and that concerned him more than if she'd simply been hurt. It took a lot to scare Carri. He wondered what was up.

"Hey, I believe that's my line." Rocky said, walking over and stepping in front of Jason. He didn't care if the two hadn't slept together or even if they had, Carri was his girlfriend now, he didn't want Jason cuddling up to her.

Jason backed off, giving Rocky a wry look. He understood, but old habits were hard to change. Carri was still his friend, and he still loved her, even if the others rolled their eyes and didn't get it.

"You ok?" Rocky asked. Carri didn't look ok. She was pale and way too quiet. They had just smashed a monster; usually she was the most boisterous of them all. They'd crawl back all exhausted and she'd be the one jumping around trying to burn off excess adrenaline.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, concern plain in his voice. Maybe Jason was right. Panic built in his gut. Carri wasn't behaving like herself, if anything had happened to her… "You're scaring me." He admitted.

Carri wouldn't look at him. She leaned briefly into his embrace and then turned and shrugged him off. "I'm not hurt." She said quietly.

"Then what?"

"I screwed up." She said quietly, blinking back tears. She crossed her arms protectively across her chest, chin down.

"You want to talk about it?" Jason offered. Rocky spun around and shot him a warning look. Jason put both hands up and backed off. "Uhm…Tommy, you want to come help me figure out the information from sector fourteen? It's all encrypted."

"Yeah sure." Tommy said nonchalantly and the two walked out of the main room.

"I'm uh…" Billy said hesitantly, moving towards the exit. "Trini's having a hard time with morning sickness. I should really go back to the lab and check on her." And quickly walked out as well.

"What's going on Carri?" Rocky asked. She cringed and his heart sank. Everything had been perfect this morning when he'd left her. Well perfect except for the fact that he'd had to leave her at all. If she'd changed her mind, had second thoughts…

"I went over to your mom's house." Carri admitted softly, backing a few steps away and leaning against the wall.

"Christ." Rocky groaned. "Why? Why would you do that without me?" His mother must have had a fit. Damnit, he wasn't about to let his family ruin this for him. It didn't matter that he'd only known her for a few weeks, he already knew he loved her. The only thing that kept him from saying it was that he was afraid she'd run screaming for the hills.

"I thought." She started and then stopped, throat choking and one tear falling down her face. She batted at it with irritation. "I thought maybe I could talk to her. She doesn't even know me. If she's really as nice as everyone says she is, she'd listen to reason and give me a chance right? I mean…I don't know what I mean."

Rocky walked over and slid both arms around her. He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head, so he nuzzled her neck instead. "She eat you alive?" he asked.

"No." Carri said with a bit of irritation, his mother wasn't all that tough. She pushed him away a bit, but his arms grew tighter and she really didn't want to resist that much anyway. She leaned into him allowed him to kiss her neck and ear.

"I lost my temper again." She admitted and he chuckled in-between kisses. Of course she'd lost her temper. That's what Carri did when she was attacked, she fought back and she fought to win.

"She really despises me now." Carri said miserably.

"She despised you before." He said gently. "So really nothing has changed." He lifted his head and tried to meet her eyes, but she still wouldn't look at him.

"Yeah, well now she despises me because she knows me." Carri sulked.

Rocky released one hand from around her waist and gently turned her head around with his hand. "How bad is it?" he asked, looking directly in her eyes. His eyes twinkled a bit but hers were still deep with despair.

"I uh.." She started to look away and he brought her eyes back to his. "I told her that you weren't her husband and it wasn't your responsibility to raise her kids. And uhm…something about shackling you to her to protect her own interests… And then she told me she was going to make sure you knew it was one or the other, her or me."

"Shit." Rocky said with feeling and leaned against the wall. He pulled her close and when she leaned against him, he was surprise to notice she was shaking. He didn't think anything could phase her, she was a strong as a brick.

"That must have been some conversation." He said absently.

Carri and his mother weren't really all that different from one another. He'd recognized the similarities almost immediately. Both were strong, self sufficient, opinionated women who ruled life with a no nonsense hand. Neither of them took crap from anyone, especially when they thought they were in the right.

Both had to grow up early; his mother because she was pregnant with him and Carri because her father all but cut her off when she didn't do what she was told. From a very young age, both had taken life full on, all by themselves. The only difference was that his mother managed a houseful of children and Carri managed her show and her own production company.

"There was too much snarling to be an actual conversation." Carri admitted sullenly. She put both arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. "Me and my temper."

"Believe it or not," he said gently, "Standing up to her is the only thing she respects. Very few people actually do it."

"So you think it's not a lost cause?" Carri asked hopefully, pulling away just enough to look at him.

"No, it's totally a lost cause." He said, giving her a wry smile. "She was already prepared to do battle. You're little visit just gave her a good excuse to cry _charge_."

* * *

Billy found Trini where he'd left her, still sorting data disks at the counter she'd claimed as her desk. He looked around to see if anyone else was close by. The others were still over at the new command center, but Manx might be lurking somewhere. Seeing no one around, he grinned and crept a bit closer. 

"How did the battle go?" She asked, not even turning around. His shoulders deflated a little.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked playfully. She turned and smiled at him.

"Are you serious?" she asked, eyes twinkling. "You have a very distinctive walk."

He grabbed another stool and pulled it next to hers, sitting sideways so that he faced her.

"This was the most challenging creature we've encountered yet. Its armament was far superior and it seemed more capable of adaptive strategic reasoning. Rita and Zedd appear to be done playing games."

"Any injuries?" She asked ignoring that he was leaning far too close for casual conversation.

"Kim cracked her chin." He commented, pulling her hands away from the disks and placing them around his neck.

They had spent the entire night together kissing… talking… making love… he was in heaven. He wanted to shout to the world that she'd agreed to be his, but she was far too reserved. Grudgingly, he'd agreed to stay quiet until after her divorce was finale. He honestly couldn't understand how it mattered. Once they announced the baby was his, people would obviously assume they'd been lovers for a lot longer than they actually had. She surprised him by leaning in and kissing him. He smiled as the passion bloomed between them again. For the first time in his life, he wished he had a home of his own to steal her away to. Someplace where no-one was likely to walk in at an unexpected moment. She pulled away as the kiss deepened and his hands wandered.

"Dr. Manx is here somewhere." She said, straightening her shirt.

"I don't care." He growled, pulling her back. She allowed herself to be kissed again, but gently pushed him away before it could become much more.

"I do." She said gently, but she also leaned in and kissed him softly one more time. "At least until you lock this place down for the night." She added, mischievously.

"I could lock it down right now."

She smiled at him, but also gave him a look that meant absolutely no and returned to sorting the disks.

He had surprised her last night. She hadn't thought passion like that was possible. She had heard about it, read about it, but she'd never believed in it. Her physical relationship with her ex husband, she thought, had been good, but it was nothing compared to the previous night. She'd been left breathless, and astounded, and for the first time she realized what her husband had been looking for when he strayed. It was the missing piece to the puzzle of her marriage. She never believed before last night that emotions like that were possible.

He exhaled heavily, unwilling to let the moment go. Sex had never been a consuming factor in his life, but he was still a grown man with normal desires. To say he had been a late bloomer was beyond humorous, but he had more than made up for it in recent years. Trini was far too shy for a woman who had been married for five years. Still, nothing could have prepared him for the previous night. He was fascinated, addicted, and he wanted more than anything else to relive it again. His heart began to race and he jerked his thoughts away. He could wait a few more hours.

"How was your appointment Mr. Shills?" He asked, changing the subject. She stopped sorting, but didn't look at him.

"I gave him the test results." She said quietly. "The new ones that Dr. Manx gave me this morning."

He smiled, one arm leaning against the countertop, it was done then. Kat Manx had been surprised by his request, but she hadn't questioned it either. Medical records for the in-coming intergalactic refugees and even some of the Rangers had been altered for their own protection in Earth's isolated society. Paternity was not something Manx thought about with any relevance. Her society had been a tribal culture, with the collective raising the offspring. She found Earth's cultural views on parenting quaint, but impractical. It didn't matter to her if he wanted to claim paternal status. He had sworn her to secrecy and she had little difficulty obliging him.

"What did he say?" he asked, gently stroking her back.

Trini turned and gave him a shy smile. "He was surprised." She admitted. Her attorney's eyebrows had risen a bit over his half glasses, but he hadn't said much to her. "He says it'll be easier now to end things quickly, without custody hearings or support issues, but Geirge might question the settlement amount since it's obvious I had an affair as well." She turned her head and stared at the countertop, smiling weakly at her embarrassment. "I told him I didn't care about the settlement, I wanted it over with. As long as there's no objections on Geirge's side, the papers will be filed on Monday and then it'll be final two weeks after that."

He leaned in, turning his head slightly to catch her eyes with his. "This arrangement, it's still agreeable to you?"

She smiled genuinely at him, reaching out to touch his face with her fingertips. "Absolutely." She said softly. "To you?"

He reached up and clasped her hand with his own, bringing her fingers to his lips.

"Affirmative." He smiled playfully, catching and holding her eyes.

* * *

"Well my lord?" Sirius asked, his lizard-like head gliding to one side of his body and then back to the other. 

"The Rangers had no trouble destroying the monster." Zedd growled. "Why should I offer you any praise?"

"I was given the understanding," Sirius crooned, "That the Rangers were to be kept busy, not destroyed. Four-thirty-one completed its mission. It challenged the Rangers, forced them to struggle a bit, but in the end they prevailed. Should you need something stronger," he paused, his throat bobbing up and down, "I should be more than happy to oblige you."

Zedd turned and ascended the steps of his dais. Turning sharply, he sat down and glared at the lizard-man before him. His eyes were huge and bulbous. He was an innocuous looking creature, like a large gecko dressed in black leather, but by reputation he was deadly. Why he had descended upon the Lunar Palace swearing his fealty remained to be seen. Something wasn't right about the creature, genius monster maker or no.

"Send him away Zedd." Rita screeched, stomping one foot. "I don't trust him. Why would he leave Nark's service and come here anyway?"

"You're hired." Zedd growled. It was an impulsive decision to say the least, but if Rita hated him, the creature was his.

"My lord, I will not disappoint you." Sirius bowed deeply and shot Rita a triumphant look. She harrumphed loudly and stormed out of the throne room.

"See that you don't." Zedd snarled.

* * *

Kimberly stared at the old dilapidated house with pride. It was hers. She'd expected the bank to put up a bigger fight over the auction price. They'd haggled a bit over it, couching that the phone lines and Internet had been knocked out and there could have possibly been other bidders who were shut out, but in the end they decided not to challenge her bid. Instead, they gouged the hell out of her in fees and closing costs, but it didn't matter. The bank was rid of an unwanted property and _Heartland_ was hers. All two hundred and thirty-six acres of it. 

The reality was that she'd have to let her brother develop part of the second lot. The property taxes alone were going to eat her alive. But Kim didn't care. It was the best victory of her life. She held the keystone tightly in her hands as she stared at the old house. She wasn't sure exactly where her grandfather's garden had been. Her memories of the place were just too old and far too much had changed in twenty years, but she knew where the grid was buried.

Over her shoulder, she heard Tommy's Jeep strain and slip it's way up the step hill. The old dirt road was long gone. The entire site had been graded at one point in preparation for a subdivision and everything had long since grown over with grass and brush. The Jeep came to a stop in a cloud of brown dust, but she still didn't turn around.

"You're brave, driving up here like that." She commented as he came around and stood beside her. "Not afraid of the curse?"

"Cautious." He admitted. "You have the keystone?"

She nodded, showing him the non-descript, bluish piece of frosted glass in her hand. There were no other cars either at the top or at the base of the hill, which meant she'd used her own means of transportation to get here. It was a good sign the grid hadn't reacted so far.

"Where's the grid?" he asked, glancing at the glass, but not reaching for it.

"You can't see it?" She asked, surprised. Over the past few weeks of working with him, she'd realized that his powers were more adept than even she had thought possible. It genuinely surprised her that he couldn't see the grid, but then again, Jason had a hard time seeing grids too. He shook his head, but didn't answer.

Kim turned and walked about fifty feet from the house and Tommy grabbed a shovel from the Jeep and followed.

"It knows we're here?" He asked. She turned and nodded, then, stopping a few feet away from him, she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them they glowed faintly red.

The first time he'd seen that glow had been on Muirantias. She'd been turned evil and he'd been desperate to turn her back. He'd seen it twice since then, but it still unnerved him, still brought him back to the day he hadn't been quite fast enough to save her. She looked slowly to the left and the right and then moved away from him another ten feet or so. Kneeling down, she ran her hand above the ground, finally pointing to the spot.

"Dig here." She said, her voice taking on an ethereal sound, almost as if it were underwater. "Not too far down, maybe four, four and a half feet." Her eyes dimmed from red back to their normal brown and she moved back a bit to let him dig.

Sure enough, about four feet down, the shovel hit rock and they both knelt down to push the dirt away.

"That's it." She said, her voice also returning to normal. They cleared the last of the dirt away and he carefully helped her lift the round stone from the dirt. Under the stone was a small silver box with familiar Eltaran symbols. Tommy brushed the last of the dirt away.

"I'll be damned." He said.

"You doubted?" Kim asked.

"No." He said, shaking his head. "Look at the symbols on the keystone marker. It's one of Zordon's. An old one, but definitely his. It probability dates back to the original team that followed him here." The grid itself was probably much further down. He wondered briefly if they should try to unearth it, then decided against it. Better to just replace the keystone and try to communicate with it through an alternate route.

Kim studied his face for a moment. Several emotions played across it: excitement, wonder, amusement, and even grief. Just for an instant, he looked very much like the boy she had known.

"I miss him too." She said quietly.

He looked up and met her eyes. "I thought I was so ready to take things over." He mused, looking from her to the silver box and back again. "I was so damn full of myself. It didn't take me very long to screw it up did it?"

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged and looked back to the box. "Putting my faith in Antoine Mercer, the whole Mesogog incident." He brushed the dirt from his hands and looked back at her. "Took me less than a year to send everything to hell."

"You fixed it." She said, shrugging off his confession. "That's the only thing that matters."

"I should never have screwed it up in the first place." He confided.

"Even Zordon was tricked by Rita." She said quietly. "The original green Ranger was killed, Rita stole his coin and turned it evil, and Zordon himself was trapped in his energy tube." Hell, if she had a dime for every time she'd screwed up in the last ten years…it was part of life. How you learn, grow, and become stronger. "You think you're better than Zordon?"

He smiled at her. "No. Absolutely not."

"Then quit beating yourself up." She said, feigning exasperation and giving his shoulder a firm shove. "Mistakes are how we grow." She said firmly. "That's the best thing Zordon ever taught me. If we spend our lives afraid of making a mistake, we're paralyzed. Getting out, taking chances, learning from our mistakes," She paused and gave him an I told you so look that made him laugh, "That's what defines us from the common."

"I've missed you." He admitted. "The past few weeks…it's been nice working with you again." He meant what he said, despite the fact that she was literally driving him insane at times. Hayley was awesome at keeping his head on straight, listening and being a good sounding board, but Kim had been there. She'd been a Ranger longer than he had. She had known Zordon and knew what he was trying to live up to.

"Yeah well," She said a bit uncomfortably, "I have a tendency to grow on people. Come on, let's get this box open and put the keystone back. The grid's not going to calm down by itself."

* * *

"Report." Teeg said lazily as Sirius's head appeared on the ship's view screen. 

"My queen." He bowed deeply, but she ignored him. "Lord Zedd has accepted me into his service."

Teeg nodded briefly. Zedd would have been a fool not to, but one never knew what the male species might do.

"There was a minor issue with Rita," Sirius admitted, "She does not approve. I believe this works to my advantage with Lord Zedd."

"See that you stay in his favor." Teeg purred. "I have one other mission for you. There are two Power coins below on the planet's surface."

"Shall I procure them for you my queen?"

"No," Teeg responded firmly. "You will wait until I return, but I want them watched. If there is any movement from the surface you will contact me immediately."

"Yes, highness."

"You will also keep me informed of all Zedd's activities and insure the Rangers stay rooted to the planet below."

"Yes highness."

"Do not fail me Sirius." She warned.

* * *

Rocky put his coffee down on the table and refused his mother's plate of cookies. He had already shooed his sisters from the room and he motioned for his mother to sit. 

"I hear you had a visitor this morning." He said plainly, measuring her. She paused half way down to her seat, then sat down and adjusted her skirt.

"She certainly didn't waste any time." His mother muttered. "Is that where you ran off to? You brother said your pager went off and you ran like a bat out of hell."

"The pager is connected to my new job. When my boss calls, I go." He said firmly. He wasn't going to make excuses for his communicator this time around. He wasn't a young kid whose family had to know where he was off to.

"And is this new job of yours working for her?" She asked testily.

"No." He answered, but didn't elaborate.

"Good." She said, taking the first sip of her coffee.

"Even if it were," He said evenly, "It would be none of this family's business."

Isabelle put her coffee cup back on the table with a loud thud, giving her son a hard look.

"I mean it Momma." He said in a firm tone, giving his mother the exact same look. He was ready for this conversation, it was long overdue. Over the last six weeks he'd cajoled, pleaded, supplicated, anything to get his mother to listen to him. It wasn't so much about Carri, although that was a good percentage of it. He was tired, worn out. He'd known it when his mother started pressuring him to make a formal engagement with Marie. It was time to stand up for himself.

It was complicated though. He dearly loved his family. His youngest two siblings were like his own children. He'd changed their diapers, fed them, taught them to walk and to talk. He would never, ever turn his back on them or his mother, but he wasn't about to spend the next eleven years being pushed around. He had grown up a long time ago. Now it was time to start living his life.

"I don't know what she told you I said to her Rocky, but she came here, to my home, uninvited and insulted me."

"Oh yes, I sure she came to the door spitting venom and you just smiled and offered her a glass of lemonade." He said sarcastically, holding his mother's gaze. Standing up to her wasn't easy. He was the only one of her six children who even tried, but eleven years of supporting the family financially gave him some privileges. His mother respected him for it, but it didn't make it any easier.

"You should have seen the way she was dressed."

"Kind of like Doni?" He mused, and Isabelle shot him another hard look. "Actually, Momma, Carri wouldn't tell me what you said. She's got some crazy idea that if I know what my mother called her, it would just hurt me. Now I wonder what you could have said that was so bad?"

Rocky had a pretty good idea what kind of conversation his mother had with Carri, he'd heard it often enough himself from his sisters. The youngest two were like little parrots of his mother. Carri had been really upset, not so much with the actual words, but with the fact she'd let them get to her and the fear that he would turn away from her for fighting back. He liked the idea very much she was concerned about losing him, liked it even more that she'd fight for him, but that still left him with the fact that he now had to deal with his mother.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way Ricardo. That girl came here…to my home."

"That girl, has a name. She came here with a good heart to try and get to know you a little better."

"I don't want to get to know her. She won't be around long enough for me to know her."

"Momma…" Rocky warned.

"As soon as you come to your senses…"  
"That's enough Mom."

"I'm serious Rocky." Isabelle said, catching her son's eyes, hands playing with the coffee mug.

"So am I." Rocky dug in. This was not a fight he was going to give in on. He and he alone would determine whom he spent his life with.

"Marie is a good girl…"

"I'm done with Marie Momma, it's over."

Isabelle cringed, but she was prepared for this. Marie had wept openly at her table several times. Isabelle knew all about their relationship, about the promises he'd made to her. She knew that Marie had allowed her son to take advantage, thinking all the while they'd soon be married anyway. Her son was a good boy, but he was also a man and men needed to be set straight sometimes. She hadn't had any control over her husband, but she had control over her sons. She could do at least that much for Marie.

"You owe her more than that. I know you slept with her."

"Yes, I did." He admitted, nonplused. "But she was hardly and unwilling partner."

"Don't talk like that." Isabelle cringed, shaking her head. Talking about sex unnerved her, even with her girlfriends. To talk about it with her son was more than uncomfortable.

"Why not? It's the truth. You're so wrapped up in thinking you're version is the only one out there and it simply isn't the true one. You don't have all your facts right or, at the very least, you're unwilling to look at the facts."  
"So what are you saying? That Marie was the slut and this new girl is an angel? I don't believe it for a second."

"Neither of them are angels Mom. You're so wrapped up in thinking I spoiled Marie or something? I was hardly the first man in her life."

"I don't want to hear this," Isabelle said, shaking her head and waving her hands. "You're simply justifying yourself Rocky, and I won't have it."

"I don't get it Momma. You want to trash Carri because you just assume, without ever having gotten to know her, that she's been with a lot of other men, but Marie, who you've know all her life, you think is some kind of vestal virgin? Either you're completely blind or you're way too selective in your memory. Marie was constantly getting into trouble with boys growing up."

"No." Isabelle shook her head. "Kissing boys and allowing them to do what you did to her a two completely different things."

Rocky made a frustrated sound and sat back in his chair. It had never bothered him that Marie wasn't a virgin, but it bothered him that she continued to play one. At twenty-three, she was getting a bit old for it now. He knew full well she'd played this game with every boy she'd ever dated.

In contrast, Carri seemed fairly open about her past experience with men. The only relationship that even remotely bothered him was the one she'd had with Jason. He believed her when she said it was a platonic one, they had no reason to lie about it, and lying was out of character for both of them. But he still had a hard time understanding why Jason had never taken advantage of the situation. Carri was gorgeous… and the two were very close. He couldn't see himself being in a close relationship without constantly mauling her; he had no idea how his friend had managed to do it.

"I'm not going to argue with you Momma." Rocky said. There was no changing her mind once she determined that she was right. He could only point out the obvious and plant some seeds. "My relationship with Marie is over. I refuse to talk about it again. I've moved on, and you need to do the same."

"No." She said sternly. "I'm not going to let this go. Rocky you owe that girl…"

"I owe her nothing." He snapped, banging one flat hand against the table. The coffee sloshed out of both cups and spilled across the table. He rarely lost his temper with any of his family, but when he did, they took notice. "I'm done discussing it. No more lectures Momma, no more bringing her over here when I'm around, no more scheming behind my back. I refuse to have anything more to do with her. The next time I see her over here, I'm leaving."

"This is my house." His mother said angrily, "You will not talk to me that way and you will not tell me whom I may or may not invite here."

"As long as I pay the mortgage and the utilities," He said with equal vengeance, "I will absolutely have a say about what goes on here, especially if it involves me."

His glare was hard and unmoving. He had bought this house for them five years ago when his school had begun to take off. It was three times the size of the apartment he had grown up in. He was proud and thrilled that he could do it for his family, but it was still his house and they lived in it rent-free. That gave him an advantage his mother would have difficulty overcoming. Once her shock and anger calmed down, she would, of course, turn on the guilt full force. Guilt always worked with Rocky, even Carri was learning that, but he was ready for her.

"I mean it Momma, it stops right here, right now."

"How could you allow that slut to turn you against us like this?"

"Carri is not a slut and she hasn't turned me against the family. I've a made a decision that involves me and my life. You need to respect that."

"No." She said, shaking her head and waving her hands. "No, I won't accept this. How dare you tell me what to do. Me, your mother who birthed you and raised you, and sacrificed everything for you. It's that whore." She spat. " That witch has turned your head, you're talking nonsense and I won't put up with it. She has to go, you need to get rid of her. I won't put up with this kind of behavior." She stood up and grabbed a towel, mopping up the spilled coffee.

"No Momma." Rocky said calmly. "Carri's not going anywhere. For the first time in my life, I'm head over heels in love with someone. I'm not giving that up."

"Love?" Isabelle sneered, tossing the towel firmly down on the table. "Lust is more like it. She spreads her legs and you're no better than a dog."

"That's enough Momma." Rocky warned, eyes hard.

"Choose Rocky." His mother said angrily. "It's one or the other, this family or that whore. You can't have both. I won't tolerate her around this family or you backing away from your responsibilities to Marie."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Rocky said, far calmer than he'd thought he'd be. He knew this was coming. It made him incredibly sad, and he felt horrible for doing it, but he also knew that it wouldn't last long. He had only to hang on long enough to make his point. He was a grown man, he wouldn't allow his mother to dictate to him anymore. He stood up, pushed his chair back against the table, and kissed his mother on the top of her head.

"I love you Momma." He said, turning to grab his keys off the counter. "The mortgage and the utilities are already sent directly to me, don't worry about them, I'll keep up the payments. Tell the kids to call me directly about their tuition and car payments, I'll keep them current only until the end of the month unless I hear from them."

"Where are you going?" His mother asked incredulously as he turned and opened the back door. He turned again and looked her directly in the eyes.

"Home to Carri." He said firmly, then turned and walked through the door, pulling it gently closed behind him.

"You ready to go?" Tommy asked, dropping down on the grass beside her. The sun was setting and Kimberly showed no signs of wanting to leave. The grid had dropped it's security level a bit once the keystone had been replaced, but still remained active and unwilling to communicate with them. He didn't like the idea of her hanging around by herself, especially after dark.

They had spent several hours walking around the property. They didn't have the tools necessary to open up the house, but Tommy had promised her he'd come back in the morning and help her remove the plywood from the doors and windows. The house was far larger than he'd expected and far more dilapidated. A cursory investigation of the outside showed a crumbling foundation and sunken roof. However she wouldn't hear of tearing it down. Tommy had flipped enough old houses with his brother to know it could probably be restored, but she was going to have to sink a ton of money into it.

"I don't want to go." She said softly, laying back on the grass and enjoying the late afternoon breeze.

"I'll come back with you tomorrow." He said firmly. "Let the grid calm down a bit more before you move in on it." She made a non-committal sound and closed her eyes.

"I love this place." She said wistfully, eyes still closed.

"Why?" He asked, pulling a piece of foot long grass and twirling it between his fingers. "Other than the grid, there's nothing here except a broken down old house."

She rolled over on her side and faced him, head propped up on one hand. "I'm home." She said simply.


	7. Chapter 7: Back to Action

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

**Chapter 7: Back to Action**

* * *

The Rangers and Lord Zedd get more than they bargained for when Rita takes matters into her own hands…

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coins Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

**_All events in The Coins occur in an alternate dimension_**.

* * *

"Absolutely not." Billy said, the irritation clear in his voice. "This is a Command Center, not a pet shop." 

Kim turned, one hand still in the tank and the other dripping water over the stone floor. Her house in Turtle Cove had been rented and the moving company had packed everything away into long-term storage until she was finished renovating the old house. Carri had been fine with her taking over the formal living room and dining room of the condo, turning the unused rooms into a huge greenhouse of sorts, but she had drawn the line at her huge fish tank.

"Carri won't let me keep them at the condo." Kim said, turning back around to re-plant some of the underwater plants that had come loose from the gravel during transport into the Command Center. "She says they make her skin crawl."

"That's no reason to bring them in here." Billy argued. The last thing he wanted was a couple of fish staring at him. As a child, he'd been afraid of fish, but that phobia had long since been conquered. His distaste for them now was for other reasons. If he'd wanted to work with fish, he'd have stayed on Aquitar.

"It's only until the house is restored." Kim called over her shoulder, ignoring him.

"That's likely to take years." He said, not giving up ground.

"Well then that will give you a good reason to help me with the new wiring, it'll speed things up."

"I already re-wired one house for you." He said, referring to her house in Turtle Cove.

"And you did a brilliant job too."

Billy shook his head as he watched her all but crawl into the tank. It was a huge, seventy-gallon affair that was frankly bigger than she was. She had an elaborate under water garden going and only two spoiled occupants to inhabit it. Those occupants had traveled in their own ten-gallon temporary tanks and watched him curiously through the glass. The stupid fantail goldfish had known immediately he could communicate with them and wiggled and twisted around trying to get his attention.

Kim secured the last of the plants and twisted back out of the tank. She hadn't realized she was leaning so far into it. Her neighbor had been taking care of it since she'd moved back to Angel Grove and she could smell the algae overgrowth. She picked up a cloth and wiped the inside of the tank one more time.

"What's with all the fish angst?" She asked, a bit ticked with his attitude, she had to find a place for the tank somewhere. She was surprised to meet with so much resistance from everyone.

Jason told her she could keep it at his place, but he'd feed the fish to the next cat he found, Carri flat out wouldn't have them, and Tommy had just starred at her like she was crazy. Her brother's tiny apartment was too small and no one else seemed willing to foster them either.

"Remind you too much of your ex?" Jason chuckled, entering the room and catching the tale end of the conversation.

"Not humorous." Billy growled. "Not even close."

"Hey, I'm not the one who married a fish." Jason drawled. "Watch out." He teased as he handed Kim two, five-gallon jugs of water, "He might be secretly attracted to them." He chuckled to himself and walked back out of the room to get the other containers he'd brought over from the lab. Billy shot him a murderous look, but didn't say anything.

His marriage to Cestria had been an odd affair. Aquitians were mammalian, like humans, but they weren't a physical race. Sex was in no way, shape, or form the way his race copulated on Earth. Cestria had been curious, but she'd also been repelled by his touch. Aquitian procreation was an artificial affair; intimacy was a combination of telepathic and telekinetic techniques. If there was one good thing to come from his tenure on that planet, he thought, it was the development of those skills. Billy shook his mind free of old memories. His marriage had been a joke. Cestria had bled his mind of knowledge and tried to keep him like an exotic pet. She'd been stunned that he rebelled once he gained his strength back, but that was another issue altogether.

"I like them." Trini said quietly. Tapping one of the temporary holding tanks. "They're sweet." She added and Billy's gaze softened a bit as he looked over at her. She was the most beautiful creature in his universe and in four more days, she'd be completely his. The others had been stunned at their announcement that Trini's baby was his. Kim had given him an odd look, but when he challenged her stare with one of his own, she'd smiled softly and had said nothing.

"What's this one's name?" Trini asked as the fish in question wiggled and flipped around for her.

"Goldar." Kim said absently, measuring the right amount of aquarium salt into the water Jason had brought her. "The other one is Alpha."

Trini switched her attention over to the other tank and crooned at the second fish. "Hi Alpha." She said sweetly, as if she were talking to a human baby.

Goldar and Alpha were actually the fourth of their line. It had started, simply enough, with a visit from Kim's little sister. Charlotte, the daughter of her mother and stepfather, had been visiting Kim's house in Turtle Cove and won two small carp at the local carnival. Kim had grudgingly bought a small tank to keep them in and promised to keep good care of them when Charlotte returned to Paris. Within a week of Charlotte's visit, the two were dead and Kim flushed them away. But within another month, business brought her stepfather Andre back to California and Kim was mortified to learn Charlotte was coming with him.

Kim had always had a soft spot for Charlotte. Her mother's pregnancy had been somewhat embarrassing for her and mortifying for her little brother. She had only been thirty-seven years old, hardly too old to have a third baby with her new husband, but to a seventeen year old Kim, it had been a bit gross. To make matters worse, both Kim and her brother had been invited to join the birth. Charlotte Girard was born just three days after Kim's gold medal run at the Pan Games and had been Kim's darling ever since. She was spoiled rotten, and knew it, but was so sweet that few people cared.

So with Charlotte on her way back from Paris, Kim dutifully went to the pet shop and bought two more fish, depositing them in the tank less than an hour before their arrival. Charlotte was thrilled to see her fish and didn't even seem to notice that the pair were a completely different breed. However, just before their departure back to France, the entire house was woken up to her screams. The fish were dead; again. After a family burial in the back yard, Kim dutifully took a sobbing Charlotte back to the pet store and purchased two more goldfish. This time Kim put down a good two hundred dollars for fish, a ten gallon tank, gravel, filter, and everything else that goes along with having fish. Charlotte sweetly kissed the fish tank goodbye on her way to the airport and Kim was left staring at two fantail goldfish who looked as if they both knew they had only hours to live.

When Goldar and Alpha the third were also found floating and bloated next to the filter, Kim started to feel really bad. The poor things hadn't asked to be sentenced to a short life on her countertop, so she sat down at the computer and began to study up on goldfish. When Kim was a child, she remembered having a plain glass bowl with one stupid fish that wouldn't die if you tried to kill it. Each week she would dump the contents of the bowl into the bathroom sink, rinse it out, then use her hand to dump the fish back inside.

Twenty years later, things were a bit different. The water coming through the pipes into the house contained different puritives and the bottled water she'd used on the last tank didn't contain either the minerals or the salts necessary for fish to survive. Silently vowing never to drink tap water again, she dutifully cleaned out the old tank, added a second filter, balanced the water, and then let it cure for a week. Too embarrassed to go to the pet store for yet a third round of fish, Kim drove twenty minutes to a specialty store. Goldar and Alpha were the last pair of one inch golden fantails in the tank and the owner assured her they were healthy. Kim spent another hundred dollars on fish books and supplies and took her two helpless experiments home.

The result was that Goldar and Alpha the fourth were the two most spoiled fish on the face of the planet. Since fantails are very social fish, Kim kept their tank in her office, where they could watch her work and she talked to them constantly. This gave both Carri and Jason more than a little concern, but the fish were healthy and quickly outgrew their little tank. To the second, twenty-gallon tank, Kim added an underwater garden, filled with plants the Internet claimed were beneficial to fantails. Within a six months, Kim found herself expanding the tank to fifty gallons and, ignoring the merciless comments from Jason about her insanity, the following Christmas she splurged on the seventy-gallon tank. The two fantails didn't need a seventy-gallon tank, but it was Kim's Christmas present to them, and it allowed her to add a few more plants. The two were very animated and would wiggle around whenever she approached the tank.

"You do realize Goldar is female." Billy drolled.

"Really?" Kim asked, turning around to face him. "The internet says you can't tell until they reach about three to four years."

"How old are those two?" Billy asked, coming closer to the holding tanks for the first time and bending down next to Trini. The two fish were a good six inches long, maybe a bit longer, with large fans extending out another few inches.

"Just about two." Kim said, measuring slime into the replacement water.

Billy stood up and stared at her. "They're huge." He said. "Fantails aren't supposed to be big fish."

Kim grinned. "Yeah, the owner of the aquarium store says I can have a job anytime I want it."

"That's because she doesn't know how many you killed in the process." Jason snorted, dropping the last of the water next to Kim. Goldar was a girl, that was awesome. He wondered briefly what his old archenemy would think of his female namesake. Not that it mattered, Goldar was long gone, even Jason didn't think about him very often.

"Why is that thing in here?" Tommy asked coming to a stop just short of the main control panel and turning around to get a good look at the tank.

"My point exactly." Billy said, his angst returning.

"Because no one will baby-sit until the house is finished." Kim responded firmly, "And I'm not going to waste money on renting another apartment when they're perfectly fine in here."

Money was quickly becoming an issue with Kimberly. The house was going to cost an unbelievable amount to renovate, even with her Ranger connections, and she'd just received a letter from a lawyer letting her know she needed to either go back to school or get at least a part time job for her trust fund payments to continue.

"Kimberly…" Tommy started in a warning tone he'd developed just for her. A tone she despised. She looked up and shot him a look that meant she wasn't going to argue the point.

"Fine." He growled at her, turning around and sitting down at the main consol, he didn't have the time or the patience to argue with her this morning. He'd just returned from Triforia and didn't like what he'd seen there. The information Trey had provided scared the shit out of him. He wasn't going to argue about fish.

Jason raised an eyebrow at the exchange, but said nothing. In the last few weeks since she'd bought her grandfather's property, the pair had come to a steady truce of sorts and had begun working easily with each other again. It was weird to see them together every day, but not really together. It seemed odd to him that it was Carri and Rocky mooning over each other and not Kim and Tommy; although they did seem to spend a lot of time together lately.

For some reason, the old grid buried on the property she bought wanted to communicate with Tommy more than her. She shrugged it off, but Jason knew it annoyed her to no end. They'd spend hours together planning, working, going out together, even bickering like an old married couple, but they weren't together. Tommy apparently even had some sort of new girlfriend in Stone Canyon and Kim appeared to care less. Then again, Kim was so focused on her house that she hardly noticed anything else.

To Kimberly's delight, the house had many wonderful surprises. The top story, which had been sealed off by her grandfather after World War II, had been sealed off completely furnished. The windows had simply been boarded up and the rest left to sit. Except for the heavy tarps that covered the furniture, everything had been left just as it was, as if the occupants had only stepped away a few hours ago. It was a treasure trove of antiques going back to the original days of the house. The rooms gave Tommy a creepy feeling, but Kim was thrilled to find boxes of photos and family records stored away in one of the bedrooms.

The addition of the upstairs doubled the square footage of the house from the county estimate and meant that she would also be able to restore the rooms on the first floor to their original dimensions. She had purchased the property at such a ridiculous price, she had more than enough left over to repair the house, but it was going to take time, even with the added bonus of Ranger technology on her side.

But for every delight, there was devastation. The upstairs portion of the house had never been wired for electricity and the electrical lines to the house had long since been disconnected. The kitchen contained an old gas stove, which meant there had to be a propane tank buried somewhere, but they hadn't found it. The kitchen also contained the only bathroom and those were the only two rooms that had plumbing.

The city had no intention of another running power line from the main road to the property any time soon and when they did, it was going to cost her a small fortune to have them hook her up. Solar panels were an easy solution to the problem, Kim had access to highly advanced and efficient ones, but she had to repair the roof to install them and repairing the roof required the use of a generator for the power tools, as well as other borrowed technologies. There had also been some dicey moments until it was determined that the well water on the property was both sufficient and potable. Fortunately, the house had been hooked up to the Stone County waterline somewhere in the sixties and Kim had managed to get an account opened again. But that brought up the issue of the old septic tank that needed replacing. Kim had gotten it done. How, Tommy didn't want to know.

There was also the headache of her grandfather's nineteen-fifties remodel. Kim was thrilled to find the dropped ceilings hid beautifully plastered ceilings above, but there was no other insulation in the house beyond the last attempt to modernize the first floor. What insulation was present, was full of asbestos.

Given the situation with foundation problems, the lack of wiring, plumbing, and the insulation, the entire house had to be shored up and completely gutted before she could even think about renovating. This was good in the sense that it would allow her to modernize the floor plan and customize it to her own needs, but it was also frustrating considering that all the renovations would have to be done by herself. No contractors, not even her uncle, would touch the job. This left Kim in the embarrassing position of having to mooch help from her friends… again.

She thanked her lucky stars for Tommy, who, although annoying, was genuinely interested in the project. He had flipped many, many houses with his brother and he assured her he was enjoying the diversion. It irked her a bit that the grid ignored her in favor of him. She was, after all, the heir to the property, but she was more than grateful for his help. It also kept him interested in the project and off her back about leadership responsibilities in the Rangers.

Tommy was eager to hand over some of the more mundane aspects he was in charge of. Unfortunately, he had a limited number of people he could delegate to. The more she proved herself capable, the more he handed over. Kimberly had her own duties to take care of and resented the added burdens. It was either confide in Tommy about who she was working with and why or simply shut up and accept the extra duties. She'd found herself tempted to drop the ball on more than one occasion, just to get him to stop, but she never did.

She had to admit, she was fascinated by the depth of his involvements and began to wonder just how he managed it all. Far from being a major or even crowning achievement, his Dino Thunder team had been merely a footnote. His influence was everywhere and she was surprised she hadn't noticed it before. His whole involvement with the Zeo team seemed to be nothing more than a pastime for him. She didn't know how he did it.

Kim finished adding the slime and stress relievers to the water and motioned to Jason to help her lift the water containers up into the tank. Jason gave one last look at Tommy's back, half expecting him to continue his objection, but he never did. Billy turned away and busied himself in one of his own projects and Trini followed him. Fish in the Command Center, Jason thought absently as he lifted the water and poured it into the tank, that was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard of.

* * *

"He appears to be abiding by your wishes." Sirius crooned through the view screen. His voice grated at Teeg's nerves, but he had been faithful in his reports. She hadn't been gone that long, she doubted Kimberly had even noticed her absence. She had no doubts Elemi would inform her once they began sparing again, but for now she was content to wait. The Novas were moving quickly and that could only mean one thing; they had discovered the location of another coin. 

"I need Kimberly kept occupied over the next few days," Teeg said absently, as if it were no important task at all. "I need to make certain she doesn't have enough time to assist the Nova's." Procuring a coin would be twice as difficult for them if she wasn't around. They needed her to break through the force fields and other security devices. If she wasn't there, they would have to wait for her arrival. That would give Teeg time to cut in and take the coin for herself.

"I have a plan." Sirius crooned. "A series of monsters that…"

"I care not for your plans." Teeg hissed. "Do it."

"Yes my queen. All will be done."

Teeg flipped the view screen off with irritation, turning her focus back on her round viewing globe. The Nova's had found something. They were packing up their operations on the planet's surface. Elemi was on the move and she'd be ready to follow.

* * *

Carri rolled over, shielding her eyes from the light with the back of her hand. She had a choice, hot breath in one direction, light from the window on the other. 

It hadn't taken her long at all to get used to sleeping with someone. She had had boyfriends before, but she'd never spent consistent nights with them. She liked it.

Classes at his school didn't start until two-thirty in the afternoon, but there was always a ton of things to be done before hand. He'd try to arrive by eleven in the morning, sometimes earlier, to steam clean the mat, get paperwork done, or answer the phones. He had an instructor there full time now to oversee the teaching, as well as high belt students who were assisting, but it was his school and he wanted to be there as much as possible. Occasionally, he would travel to his two satellite schools, but mostly the routine stayed the same. He'd generally be home somewhere between seven and eight, depending if he stayed around to teach the high belt class himself.

This suited Carri perfectly. She hated getting up before ten or eleven and loved to stay up late. She usually had quite a bit of work to do, despite her father's assurance that she wouldn't have much to do at all, and that generally kept her busy up until a few minutes before he was due home.

They had settled into a good routine. They would meet for dinner about eight and plan their evening from there. At first, Rocky had made an effort to get up and walk back down to the condo he technically shared with Jason, but after the first week she'd told him to lie back down and go to sleep. He would usually start to fall asleep by midnight, one in the morning. Sometimes she could keep him awake, most times she couldn't. Rocky would sleep until seven or eight, kiss her goodbye, and then head off Jason's to shower and change. Then the day would start over again.

It surprised her that she liked having him there. The warmth of another body had taken some getting used to, and the snoring, but on the rare night that she slept alone, she missed him.

He rolled over and spooned against her and she smiled. It was his way of telling her he was awake and getting ready to leave. Rocky had given up trying to wake Carri in the mornings. Unless her communicator was going off, it was a hopeless cause. His arm slid around her and he pulled her close, absorbing her warmth for just a few more seconds. Then he kissed her neck, released her, and sat up.

She sighed contentedly and pulled the covers over her head as he dressed; then both of their communicators went off.

"Shit." Carri spat, throwing the covers off and rubbing her eyes. "These things are starting earlier and earlier on Fridays." She stood up and began to search out the cloths she wore the night before, stopping only when she noticed him grinning at her.

"What?" she asked.

"It's amazing how fast you're actually capable of moving in the morning when you have to." He said, pulling on his shirt.

She shot him a halfhearted annoyed look and then bounced across the bed towards him.

"Take that back." She said, throwing her arms around his neck. He leaned in and kissed her thoroughly.

"Good morning." He whispered.

"Good morning." She answered, unwilling to give up the kiss. Their communicators chirped again and she fell back on the bed in frustration, bouncing a little from the force.

"Jeans." She said, rolling off the bed and searching through a basket of clean clothes, "I need my frek'n jeans."

* * *

There were no claybots again this Friday; that in itself was a bad omen. Monster number four-seventy-two was beyond description. It wasn't a bee, it wasn't a can of soup, it was some weird mishmash of alien technology. The problem, the Rangers soon discovered, was that it blew up fairly easily. All the little pieces, however, soon became a swarm of little bee cans. 

"Did I ask for this before coffee?" Carri hissed as a little bee monster dipped and dove around her helmet, trying to sting her through her uniform. "No, I didn't ask for this before coffee."

"Someone want to offer up an idea of what to do now?" Kim asked, in the same boat times around five. "Ow! Shit, that hurts! Watch the stingers guys." She said.

The morning had been very nice for Kim. She'd taken her drawings over to her uncle's office for her brother Michael to look at. She knew what she wanted the rooms in the house to look like, but getting the actual construction plans were another story. Despite the early hour, Her brother had his hands full with another client and had passed her off to one of his friends. An hour later, Kim had a date for the night, but she'd also had to run off and answer her communicator.

"I'm out of ideas." Jason added after his attempts to blast the little bee cans resulted in yet another swarm of smaller bee cans.

"Billy, please tell me you've got the equivalent to a can of Raid coming our way." Carri called over her communicator. She'd been stung about ten times and was beginning to see little yellow lights blinking in front of her eyes. "I don't feel so good guys." She said, knees bucking a little. Rocky was by her side in seconds and held her up before she could fall down.

"I'm taking her back to the Command Center." He called and transported them both out.

"I'm in the same boat." Kim called, moving toward Jason and Tommy. She linked her arm with Jason's and leaned against him. "My eyesight's cutting out."

"Back to the Command Center." Tommy called, and the three transported off the scene.

* * *

"We did it!" Rita shrieked. "They're running away. We actually won a fight against the Rangers! I'm impressed you overgrown lizard. I didn't think that little metal insect had it in him!" 

"Sirius!" Zedd growled from his throne. "The Rangers had better survive that venom. If Teeg returns to find them destroyed, you will be the first creature I throw at her."

"That old witch isn't here anymore," Rita whined, "Why should we continue to do her bidding?"

"Silence you gnat eating wing nut." Zedd barked, raising his staff and shaking it at her. "I am the one who will decide the right time to destroy the Rangers and no one else. For now, I choose to toy with them a little longer."

"My lord," Sirius crooned, throat bobbing. "The venom is short lived. The allergic reaction it produces in mammals is easily treated by the simplest technology. I thought only to show you what your genius is capable of, should you decide to no longer play with them."

Zedd turned his gaze to the large viewing globe. "Let us see just how long it takes them to destroy your little toy." He said gruffly. "One skirmish hardly wins a battle."

* * *

Carri felt awful. Hundreds of little yellow lights danced in front of her eyes and everything felt three times too big. Her mouth felt like cotton and her throat like sandpaper. It was like she was trying to breathe through a straw. 

"It's an allergic reaction of some type." Billy said not far from her face. She couldn't see him, but he was obviously close by. "You should start feeling better in a few minutes." She felt something cold injected in her neck and assumed it was an antidote of some kind.

"The good news is, Zedd has recalled those things." Tommy said, coming into the room, "The bad news is we collected very little meaningful data on them and there are several civilians reporting stings."

"Whatever they were, they're nasty." Kim said, rubbing her arm as Billy injected her with anti-venom.

"Tell me you have an idea of how to contain it." Tommy said turning to Billy. He knew Billy must have already analyzed the data, it was way too organized in the computer. He hated self-replicating monsters, they never fought fair.

Billy reached out and injected him with anti-venom before he could protest. "I'll prepare some extra doses for the civilians." He said, turning back to the computer consol. They had all been stung multiple times and were all in various stages of a reaction. Carri had the worst of it. Her face and fingers were swollen and tiny hives had appeared all over her body.

"It's not like we can flood Angel Grove with poison." Jason offered. "Killing the people would kinda defeat the purpose."

"It's doubtful an artificially created monster would react to poison." Billy said absently, filling several vials with serum. Besides, he'd already considered the idea.

"What about sound?" Kim offered. "I installed a couple of those sound repellents in the house to drive off the wasps that moved into the upstairs wall. Would that work?"

"It's an intriguing concept. Providing those creatures will actually respond like insects and assuming we can find the correct frequency. It may only act as a deterrent, but it might buy us time to find a way to destroy them" Billy said, considering the idea. "Do you have one I could look at?"

"They're up at the house. I can get one." She said standing up. The yellow lights immediately assaulted her eyes and stumbled against Tommy.

"I'll go get one." Rocky offered. "I don't seem to be effected by the stings."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Tommy said. "That house has issues."

"That's the understatement of the century." Jason added. Why Kimberly was so bound and determined to keep that house was beyond him.

"I'll go." Tommy said and transported out before anyone could protest.

"I guess that leaves me to deliver the anti-venom to the civilians." Jason said, taking the vials Billy handed him and also transporting out.

* * *

Trini was more miserable than she'd been in her entire life. Half way through the bee can attack, she'd had to retreat back to Billy's lab when the nausea overcame her. It was awful, she was of no use to the Rangers and certainly no use to Billy in his lab. 

She reached down and turned up the anti nausea device Billy had given her, but before it could take effect, her stomach heaved and she was assaulted by another wave of vomiting. Mornings usually didn't bother Trini. She usually woke up with high energy and ravenous. It was only in the late morning, after she had eaten, that she got sick. It happened all afternoon, every day. She'd eat, she'd throw up, she'd be starving again. It was a vicious cycle. Vomiting this early in the day was an ominous sign.

The anti nausea band Billy had given her helped a bit, but once it started, it was difficult to get under control. She crawled from the waste facility to the narrow bed Billy kept in the lab and curled up into a fetal position. Sweat beaded on her forehead and matted her hair to her face.

This should have been a wonderful time. Her divorce would be final on Monday morning and her soon to be ex was getting re-married on Tuesday. The final decree had taken a bit longer than she had thought it would. Geirge had decided to quibble a bit over the settlement after he'd received the news that her baby wasn't his. She hadn't wanted to argue the matter, but her lawyer and Billy both insisted the man shouldn't walk away with everything. He had finally stopped bickering when his girlfriend had gone into false labor. She was due to deliver her baby any day and he now wanted the divorce finalized as quickly as she did.

She was surprised how ambivalent she felt about the whole thing. She'd spent more than five years of her life sleeping next to the man, but she could care less who he was with now or what he was doing. She thought that she would have a few regrets when the time came, but she felt nothing except relief. She would be free to raise her baby in peace and to be with Billy.

She pulled her knees to her chest and closed her eyes tightly as another wave of nausea assaulted her. Billy had a surprise for her tonight. They were going somewhere special. It wasn't really a date. They didn't really go out on dates the way Carri and Rocky did. They spent quiet time together, just enjoying each other's company.

He had been very good to her. She didn't know what she'd do without him. Her parents had been shocked when they told them that the baby was his. Her mother had remained calm, but had given her a cold hard stare. Her father and brother had simply left the room. The fact that Billy was a long term family friend and that they would soon be married meant little. Their disappointment in her was obvious. It hurt her and the sting was deep.

In contrast, Billy's father was thrilled. He'd even purchased a bassinet for her and loaded it with every conceivable baby item he could find. They hadn't heard from Billy's mother yet, but he wasn't concerned. He assured her they would hear from her eventually.

In the meantime, she and Billy had settled in together, as much as they could anyway, living in the lab. She didn't mind the lab, she loved being with him, although she knew they'd have to find other accommodations eventually. She hadn't thought it was possible to love another man, let alone fall in love again so quickly, but it seemed like the two of them had always been together. She guessed they had been since they had known each other for so long, but it still seemed strange. It was as if her ex husband had simply evaporated and Billy had stepped into his place; except she was far happier.

She wondered what would have happened if she had stayed in Angel Grove and never moved to Switzerland. Perhaps they would have eventually gotten together. Maybe she could have spared them both the pain of a failed marriage and they could have spent the last decade as a couple. She didn't know. She would have never expected to have been this happy with him.

She had always held a soft spot for Billy, but she'd never really been physically attracted to him as a young girl. She and Kim had giggled that he had the prettiest eyes on the face of the planet, but he was beyond challenged socially. The things that mattered most to the two girls in high school had meant nothing to him. He'd worn thick, heavy glasses, loose overalls, and was incapable of speaking anything except the techno babble of a computer wizard. She had known there was a genuinely golden person underneath, but she hadn't been able to get past the esthetics of the surface. Besides, at that point in her life she would have been far too shy to even consider the idea. She sighed heavily, she had been young and foolish. There was no point in speculating, they were together now, and that was all that mattered to her.

The nausea overcame her again and she rolled off the bed and crawled back to the waste facility. She was nearly into her second trimester now, she should be past this. Poor Billy, she thought miserably, he was saddled with so much more than he'd bargained for. Pregnancy was far more than she'd bargained for too. Dr. Manx assured her that the worst of it would be over soon, but she wasn't entirely positive she'd live that long.

* * *

Rita threw the glass bottle against the chamber wall in disgust. It wasn't fair. They were no more than pawns in whatever game Teeg was playing. Rita was a sorceress, she had unbelievable powers, but she couldn't use them. She had to sit idly by and watch Zedd kiss up to that over grown pussycat. 

"Poor Rita. All that bad is it?" A voice crooned from the shadows. Rita spun and raised her staff, only to have it flung from her hands by an red energy bolt.

"Don't try it sweetheart." The figure said. "I'm far more powerful than you could ever hope to be."

"Who are you?" Rita demanded, squinting to distinguish the form behind the darkness.

"I need a favor." The voice soothed a bit more calmly. "Perhaps we could make a deal."

"What do you want?" Rita snapped, cradling her arm.

"The same thing you do." The figure walked slowly toward her, sliding out of the shadows. "To destroy the Rangers as painfully as possible."

"Kimberly?" Rita asked.

* * *

Carri tossed uncomfortably in the medical bed. She couldn't breathe and her heart was racing. She couldn't hear anything except a loud whooshing sound in her ears. She tried to tell Billy that she couldn't breathe, but her voice wouldn't work; nothing worked. Panic grabbed her and she thrashed about, but nothing moved like it was supposed to. 

"What's happening?" Kim asked, trying to hold Carri on the table. She was thrashing so violently she was afraid her friend would fall off the narrow bed. Rocky grabbed her legs and the two struggled to keep her in place.

"Anaphylactic shock." Billy said, changing the setting on his scanner. "She can't breathe, her throat is closed. Hold her down," He said firmly as he turned and grabbed a more intricate piece of medical equipment. "I've got to get her airways open."

Billy slid a narrow panel over her chest and clicked it into place. Restraints came forward from the table and they helped him lock down her legs and arms. A few seconds later a clear mask slid over her neck and head. The computer took over for him then, analyzing the problem and physically inserting an oxygen tube in the base of her throat, below the swelling. Carri relaxed almost immediately.

"The computer will also sedate her." He said, placing what he hoped was a reassuring hand on Rocky's arm. "She should be fine. It's just a massive over reaction to the venom. The most dangerous part is already passed, the computer's in control now. It's state of the art, even on a core world."

The first thing Billy had done when he learned of Trini's pregnancy was to upgrade the medical facility. He had absolutely no faith in the medical technology of his home world. He'd used his influence to procure two of the most advanced medical computers in the sector, and probably many others. Carri would be fine, but her reaction to the venom concerned him. Her immune system was overreacting and the readings the computer was giving him didn't look good. Carri was in for a long recovery. His eyes met Kim's and she nodded, as if understanding his silent misgivings. She pulled a seat up next to the bed and directed Rocky to sit. He did so numbly, eyes following every movement the computer made around her head and neck.

"Will she be all right?" Kim asked Billy softly as they moved away from the medical bed and back to the main control room with Jason in silent tow. Jason stopped at the archway, eyes on Carri, but ears tuned toward Kim and Billy.

"She should be." He answered.

"You don't look all that convinced." She pressed.

He sighed heavily, rubbing his fingers across his eyes. "I don't like the way her immune system is reacting to either the venom or the antidote. The computer's having to intercede too much." He paused and looked back at the bed in the other room. "That's the best possible care we can give her. It's better than anything else we've got on this world."

"But…" Kim pressed again when he paused. He regarded her for a moment and then continued.

"But those hives aren't normal. They're growing at a phenomenal rate and readings show a high aluminum content, they're poisoning her. For some reason she's more sensitive than the rest of you."

"She got stung by a similar metal creature before." Jason added. They turned to him and he continued. "One of Ivan's, when we fell back through time. It was one of those little ooze filled scorpions, remember it?" He asked Kim.

"That's right," She confirmed. "I remember it now." It had been an attack of hundreds of tiny metallic scorpions. She and Jason hadn't been stung, but Carri had. "But she didn't have a much of reaction to it." Kim added.

"The second venom sting is always more volatile." Billy said, considering the new information. A scorpion wasn't a bee, but then neither monster was a real insect and both were supposedly metallic. He wondered if there was any way to determine if they had been constructed using the same technology. "I need to figure out what it is. It could be that her immune system is simply over reacting to a second sting, but I still need to make sure the reaction isn't one that's going to effect the rest of the team as well."

"Guinea pig number one, reporting for duty." Kim quipped, giving him a mock salute. He grinned at her in response and then both of them turned a more somber gaze back to Carri.

* * *

Tommy transported directly to the second floor of the old house. They had torn the walls and insulation from the first floor, but the second remained mostly untouched. He walked swiftly down the creaking hall to the far bedroom. The first thing Kimberly had done was to place several temporary storage units on the property and carefully store away everything they'd discovered in the house. The result made the second floor even more eerie than it had been before. It was empty, and spacious, and dark, and Tommy always had the creeping feeling that he was being watched. 

Tommy wasn't afraid of ghosts. He'd encountered many of them in his journeys. As long as they didn't bother him, he ignored them. Despite that, he enjoyed working on the old house. The more time he spent there, the warmer his feelings became. It was becoming less and less of an empty, cold dwelling and more and more of a friendly place.

He walked through the room and picked up one of the sound repellents Kim had installed. The far wall of the room had become one massive wasp nest and they had spent the better part of the previous afternoon removing the colony of unwanted tenants. He paused, glancing at the sound device and mulling over the day's attack. It was entirely possible Zedd had been watching the house and dreamed up the bee monster in response to their efforts to exterminate the wasps. He'd have to remember to install a security shield on the property like he'd done for his own houses.

The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and he whirled around to see a faint bluish glow just before it disappeared. That was new. He'd often felt something in the house, but as of yet, he'd never actually seen anything. The glow blinked briefly to his right and he swerved again.

"Alright." He said aloud, forcing his heart to stop racing. "You have my attention. What do you want?"

Silence. Tommy waited a few more seconds. Still nothing.

"I'm leaving now." He said. "I have work to do." He turned and walked steadily towards the door. As he crossed the doorway to the hall he heard a voice, clear as if someone were actually behind him.

_Danger._

Tommy turned and looked back into the room. There was nothing there. "What did you say?" He asked, his voice far calmer than his racing heartbeat. The blue glow blinked directly in front of him once more. This time he also heard a low buzzing sound, like a cricket or grasshopper.

_Danger._

_

* * *

_

"I think I might have a bit of a problem with my family." Kim said casually as Billy took a sample from the large purple boil that had developed on her arm. Unlike Carri, who had them over every square inch, Kim had only developed two around a particularly nasty sting site.

"What do you mean?" He asked, eyes on the sample he'd taken. He turned and spread the gray, puss like substance onto a thin tray, which he then slid into a slot on the medical computer board.

"I have a trust fund." She explained and he nodded that he was listening even though his eyes focused on the readings the computer was churning out. "Not much, but enough for me to live on if I'm frugal." He nodded again and she continued, "Anyway, it's contingent on me being either a student or holding down at least a part time job."

Billy stopped and turned his eyes to her. "That was smart of someone."

She smiled, "It's designed to keep heirs like my dad employed instead of living off my grandfather's estate. The problem is, I'm not technically employed now and renovating the house doesn't count. I've been cut off until I either go back to school or get a job. My mother's putting huge pressure on me to move back to Paris and help with the gallery and my Uncle and brother are putting pressure on me to come work for them. It's hard to explain why I'm always so busy if I'm technically not doing anything."

"Going to work for your family isn't an option?" Billy asked, pressing a few more buttons and checking the readings.

"Not with Tommy increasing my duties here and with other duties elsewhere. I'm chasing my tale to keep up. If it weren't for Tommy, nothing would be getting done on the house. He's the one pushing me foreword on it."

"What are you suggesting?" He asked, glancing up from the readout.

"Maybe you could find me something little to do, part time, here at NASADA? Nothing major, just something to show I'm employed and give my family a reason to stop trying to rescue me."

Billy nodded, "That shouldn't be hard. I'll talk it over with Tommy. We'll assign you something. Come to think of it, it might actually be beneficial to assign all of you something. If only to have a good excuse why you've been traveling through the gates."

Earlier in the morning, Trini had brought to his attention an information request she had pulled from the main computer system. She had noticed that someone was interested why Carri, a TV host, would spend so much time in and out of the high security areas of NASADA. He was pretty sure it was the same tabloid who'd published a nasty article about her giving up her show and boyfriend to carry on an affair with her karate instructor. It was nonsense, but it was also a security risk.

"Carri's waking up." Jason said, walking over to them. Kim slid off the counter and walked with them back over to the medical bed. Billy keyed a sequence into the main panel and the clear hood slid back from Carri's face. The swelling was down, but she was still covered in large purple boils.

"How are you feeling?" Billy asked, monitoring the report issued by the computer.

Carri cleared her throat and coughed roughly. "I got hit?" she asked groggily.

"Do you remember what happened?" Billy asked.

"Bee, can-like things." Carri croaked. Her voice sounded rough and hoarse. "Yellow lights." She stopped and was caught in a fit of coughing.

"Do you remember coming back to the Command Center?"

She shook her head slightly, groaning with the pain the movement produced. The computer sensed the change and compensated for it. She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. Billy scanned the screen, then backed away from the bed, motioning for the others to follow.

"How is she?" Tommy asked, entering the room from the main area and handing the sound repellent to Billy.

"That took you long enough." Jason quipped. "What'd you do, go out for lunch while you were at it?"

Tommy looked at him briefly, then, ignoring him, turned his attention back to Billy.

"She'll be all right." Billy answered. "She's stable and the computer's keeping her drowsy. She'll be up and about by morning, but she won't be well enough for duty for a while."

Tommy nodded, also noting Billy looked like he had more to say on the matter later. He shifted his gaze to the medical bed, noting how Rocky kept a silent, steady vigil. His heart went out to him, he'd been there. It was always hard when the girls got hurt, it was devastating if that girl was someone you loved. He remembered when Kim had been captured by Lord Zedd. They'd gotten her back, but not before the warlord had nearly killed her. He'd spent days rooted to her side and fearing for her life while Zordon treated her. The agony of not knowing if she'd survive or not had nearly killed him. His gaze focused back to the present and to the older version of the girl he'd loved so overwhelmingly. She still looked very much like the girl she'd been, but working with her had proven just how different she'd become. He moved slightly as she tried to pass by him, but reached out and grabbed her arm.

"I need to talk with you a second." He said as Billy as Jason filed past them leaving Rocky alone with Carri.

"Sure." She said.

They walked quietly to an unused room and Tommy hit the button to slide the door shut.

"What's up?" She asked.

"I think a ghost up at the house tried to communicate with me." He said.

"Which one?" she asked, curious.

He paused and gave her an odd look. "What do you mean which one?"

"There are several of them." She said, non-pulsed. "They usually aren't interested in communicating though, just curious as to what we're doing down stairs. I get the feeling they didn't like the old renovation and want to see what we're going to do."

Tommy stared at her for a moment. It never occurred to him that she would be able to see ghosts. "You see them?" he asked.

She shrugged uncomfortably. "Jason sees heat emissions, I can see electromagnetic energy patterns. It's connected to my other abilities. Yes, I see them, but not like I see you. I can tell them apart though, I think they like that." She paused and then added, "Once, when I was sorting the old photos in the upstairs bedroom, I turned around and a whole bunch of family portraits were lined up behind me. I think they were asking who's daughter I was, so I pointed to a picture of my grandfather as a baby. The house has seemed warmer since then."

Tommy nodded, the house really had seemed more welcoming lately. He filed away her ability for future reference. When he had time, he just might bring her into one of his other projects.

"It spoke to you?" She pressed. "What did it say?"

"Danger."

"Danger?" She repeated, "As in danger in the house or danger outside the house?"

"I don't know." Tommy confessed. "I hung around for a good twenty extra minutes, but nothing more. It just warned me about danger."

"That's odd." She said, frowning a bit. "Nothing else?"

Tommy paused, thinking how he wanted to describe it. "There was a buzzing sound, not really a chirping…like a swarm of grasshoppers."

"Kind of like a zacada?"

"What?" He asked, taken back.

"Noisy, fly like bug. You'd know it if you've ever heard one."

"I know what they are, yeah…" he said, thinking about it. "I guess, I'd have to call up a recording of the sound to make sure. Why would you ask? You've heard the sound too?"

"What did it look like?" she asked, redirecting his thoughts. This was one area she needed to keep Tommy well away from. She knew the sound, knew what it meant. What she didn't understand was why the ghost went through Tommy and not her.

"I don't really know." He said honestly. "It was just out of my range of vision. Kind of bluish, but only for a second."

"Wide and tall or short and narrow?" She asked.

He frowned again, thinking. "It was more like I just knew it was there. My height, tall."

"That was Curtis." Kim said with conviction. "He's the one who lined up the portraits that day."

"How do you know?" He asked, curious.

"Because I asked. I asked them to show me which one lined up the photos and when I turned around, there was a picture of Curtis, separated out from the others. He's the one who built the house. He's no-nonsense, very stern…kinda like you." She said with a grin. She paused, hesitating a second. Tommy knew that look, it was one she got when she was deciding whether to disclose something or not.

"What?" he asked, waiting for the bombshell. She shook her head, then gave him a wry look.

"He was a Ranger." She said. "About a hundred and twenty years ago… a fairly powerful one."

* * *

"So what's in this for me?" Rita asked, swinging her legs over the side of the chair. 

"Simple. I kill Kimberly, taking her off of Teeg's tale, and you give Teeg the power coins, making you the hero of the day." Her visitor said silkily. Her resemblance to Kimberly was uncanny. It was as if they were twins, except this twin was dressed in black leather, with glowing red eyes, and was very obviously fighting on Rita's side.

"And that's all you need? Me to power up that force field of yours and put it in one of the dimensions here? I don't have to do anything else?"

"Not a damned thing. Zedd won't even know you were a part of it, if you don't want me to tell. Teeg will lose all interest in this world once Kimberly is dead and the coins are in your possession. You'll be free to conquer it…you'll be queen."

"Queen." Rita giggled, trying the word out several times. "I like that."

"All right whoever you are, I'll do it." She said, sitting up and pointing a finger at her visitor, "Just remember, those coins are mine to give to her royal catness."

"On my honor." Her companion drolled, three fingers of her right hand held up in a glib display of trust.

* * *

Carri sat up uneasily on the medical bed, swaying a bit. She was still woozy from the medication, but it was clearing fast. "I'm fine." She snapped, swatting away Rocky's assistance. "I'm perfectly fine." 

"You don't look fine." Rocky argued. This was a bad idea, she shouldn't be getting off the table. He wished the others hadn't gone, he had no idea how to increase her medication and put her back to sleep. "You look like you need to sleep the rest of the night." He insisted.

That was putting it mildly. Rocky dreaded telling her the hives had hardened with scar tissue, creating ugly grayish purple splotches all over her body. They all had the marks, but Carri's case had been severe and she was covered head to toe. Her face and body were literally deformed with scar tissue. Carri had been a beautiful woman, he wasn't sure how she'd react. She was still beautiful to him. He didn't care, he was so thankful that she was still alive. He'd never prayed so hard in his life, he'd been so scared he'd lose her.

"I don't want to sleep anymore." She growled. She felt horrible. Her eyesight was fuzzy, her throat felt like gravel and she had a massive migraine. She was never very amiable when she first woke up, which was why she tarried in bed so long in the mornings, but she was beyond irritable right now. Her vision cleared a bit and she noticed her arms were covered in angry purplish splotches.

"What the hell happed to my arms?" She asked, staring at them as her vision cleared. The splotches were raised above the skin, unevenly shaped, and they ranged in size from a dime to a half dollar. They were all over her hands and arms; it was like she'd turned a different color.

"It's scar tissue." Rocky said gently. Carri's head moved too fast and a wave of dizziness assaulted her. Her head rolled to one side and Rocky quickly put his arms around her so she wouldn't fall. "Billy has a procedure to help them fade." He reassured her. "He's already given you one treatment, it's looks a lot better already."

"Better?" she choked, tears welling in her swollen eyes. This purple stuff was scar tissue? It was painfully tight, like she was wrapped in shrink-wrap. What the hell had happened to her?

"Carri it's going to be ok. You had some kind of allergic reaction to the venom in that monster. You went into shock…you really need to rest."

"They're all over me." Carri said, looking over her hands and legs. The splotches were everywhere, she thought, panic rising in her. She brought her fingers up to her face and felt the same uneven skin across her eyes and nose and neck.

"Oh my God." She whispered, realizing the scars covered every inch of her. Her face didn't even feel like a face anymore. Her knees buckled and she clung hard to Rocky.

"It's going to be ok." Rocky reassured her. "Carri we're going to find a way to reverse the effects. Nothing has changed, I love you." His voice sounded stupid and hurried, even to him, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. His heart ached for her, but there was nothing he could say or do to change things.

The room whirled around Carri, she felt his arms tighten around her, but everything else seemed to spin out of control. Her head dropped against his shoulder and he realized that she'd fainted.

* * *

Trini rolled over and laid her head on Billy's shoulder enjoying the closeness of the small bed in his lab. She sighed contentedly and he smiled and kissed the top of her head. 

"Feeling better?" He asked.

"A little." She lied. They hadn't been able to go out and see his surprise, she'd been too sick. She felt awful about it. Billy was always so busy, he had allocated his precious time this evening to spend with her and she just didn't have the energy to go anywhere. "I'm sorry about your surprise." She said.

"It's all right." He said, gently rubbing her arm, "It can wait."

"Dr Manx thinks the sickness will go away soon." She added hopefully.

He stroked her hair and back and she tried hard to stay still and enjoy it. She didn't want him to initiate anything tonight; it just didn't feel good. Despite the maximum setting on the anti-nausea band, the symptoms had barely lessoned. She had told him as gently as she could that she just wanted to rest. He'd said that he understood, but Trini began to fret. Their relationship was still new. She didn't know for sure how he'd react if she continued to turn down his advances.

"My mother called me today." She said casually, fingers playing with the sheet. "She wants to know if I plan to come home or just hide in your lab."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I work a lot. She says it's not good for the baby and I'm being irresponsible. Can you imagine?" She asked, sitting up a little and meeting his eyes. "She called me irresponsible. That's a word she generally reserves just for my brother. I'm the one who went to college, who played by the rules, did all the right things…"

"You mean the one who's not quite divorced yet but is having her boss's baby?" He quipped. She winced and he regretted his words. "I'm sorry, I was teasing."

"I know," She said softly, leaning down and kissing his bare shoulder. She laid the side of her head flat against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "I'm scared." She admitted. "I've wanted a baby for so long, now I can't even handle a few weeks of sickness."

"It's all right." He answered gently, stroking her long hair. "I'm here."

She rose up again and caught his eyes. Yes, he was. At the time in her life when she was the most lost and vulnerable, he'd simply put his arms around her and made it all right again.

"I love you." She said, and he smiled broadly. He'd told her a thousand times how much he loved her, but she'd only smiled in response. To hear it now was magical. It was all he could do not to roll her over and kiss her passionately.

"I love you too." He answered simply.

* * *

Kim walked down the corridor of the main level eight complex tossing her purse on the table and ordering a cup of hot tea from the food synthesizer against the wall. 

"I thought you had a date tonight." Tommy called from a table out by the fountain.

Kim took her cup from the processor and walked over. "Don't even..." She started to say, but stopped mid sentence. Tommy had company and she hadn't realized it.

"Kim this is Hayley." Tommy introduced.

The red head next to Tommy was smiling broadly and Kim grinned back at her. "Nice to finally meet you." She said, holding out her hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

Hayley took her hand and shook it firmly before Kim sat down in the empty chair across from them. "And I've heard _a lot_ about you too." Hayley grinned.

Tommy gave her a warning look and she ignored him. Kimberly was dressed to the nines and she knew he had noticed far more than he was letting on. He had talked nonstop about Kimberly for nearly twelve weeks since the reunion. It would have been amusing if the moron wasn't so intent on believing he felt nothing more than friendship for her. Hayley respected Tommy, he was the best Ranger that had ever lived, but when it came to his own emotions, he was an idiot.

Hayley had always known about the Kimberly factor, as she called it. The man had been obsessed with her for years, always maintaining an outward distance and an attitude of indifference. He'd spent the last two hours this evening justifying the time he spent on that old house of hers. It was the grid, he insisted, it had nothing to do with creating an excuse to see her every day. He'd even gone out and found a girl to date on the side, further justification that he just wasn't interested in a romantic relationship with her anymore. But the fact that she was out on a date had him in knots. He hadn't been able to concentrate on any of the information she'd bought him.

Hayley had known Tommy a long time. Long enough to know his body movements and long enough to read almost every mask he put in place. The minute he'd sensed her, his whole stance had shifted. Kim was dressed in tight capris, a low cut, form fitting shirt, and heels… and he was obviously very aware of it.

"What happened?" Tommy asked and Kim gave him a sardonic look.

"Why would you ever ask me that?" She countered sweetly and Hayley chuckled.

"Because it's not even nine o'clock and you're back here." Tommy said casually.

Kim shrugged, sipping the tea. "I'm here because I wanted to check on Carri. I just stopped for the tea. How's she doing?"

"Fine." Tommy said, reaching for his own drink. "She'll be up and around tomorrow."

"And the scars?"

Tommy winced. That was another matter entirely. "Billy's going to talk to her about going to Aquitar."

"Will the water there do any good?"

"It regenerates skin and cell tissue." He answered. "More importantly, she needs to purge her system of the metal poisoning before it damages her organs. It'll also re-calibrate her immune and lymphatic systems. She has to go. We're lucky the Aquitians still have a good relationship with Billy."

Kim nodded, but remained quiet. She felt for Carri. Even with a baseball cap and no makeup Carri always looked good, was always confident about her looks. The angry gray and purple scars were not going to go over well. Kim wondered briefly how she would handle it. She had a strong character, she would adjust… eventually.

"So you had a date tonight?" Hayley asked innocently. Tommy gave her another warning look and she pointedly ignored him again.

Kim snorted. "If you can call it that." She scoffed.

"Disaster huh?" Hayley sympathized. She hated dating. It was far too complicated and emotionally draining. She'd take a good computer and a fast modem over a relationship any day.

Kim snorted again. "You really want to hear about it?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes." Hayley said, drowning out Tommy's no.

"Alright," Kim said, setting her tea down. "Here's what happened."

The date had seemed promising enough. The guy was a friend of her younger brother's, but he was also a senior architect with her uncle's company. He was talented, good-looking, and very charming.

He had picked her up at four in the afternoon, which she thought was a little odd, and they went to see a movie she'd been interested in. They guy paid for the movie, a matinee, with a two for one coupon, which was also a little odd, but not enough for her to say anything. He had opted to forgo any refreshments because they were going out to dinner, so she bought her own drink and they found their seats. The movie itself had been a disappointment, but it had been entertaining and she was enjoying herself.

She was more than a little surprised when dinner turned out to be at a fast food chain where, again, he used a buy one meal get the second one free coupon. Kim was now beginning to think this was a little strange and wondered briefly if her brother was playing a joke on her. Not that she hadn't been known to down a hamburger or two, especially since Rangering speeded up her metabolism and she actually needed the extra calories, but the chain they'd gone to was not one of the better ones and didn't even promise a half way decent meal. Warning herself against being a snob, she ate the meal and tried very hard to enjoy the company.

They guy was cute, but very full of himself. In the hour they spent talking, he talked only about himself and didn't ask a single fact about her. _I did this_ and _I did that _constituted the bulk of every topic. By the time dinner was over, Kim's ears were tired and she was already willing to call it a night.

After dinner turned out to be an even bigger surprise when he took her to, of all places, an arcade. Kim hadn't been to an arcade since high school. Despite the fact that he used a gift certificate to purchase tokens and laser tag tickets, she actually found herself having a pretty good time, especially since the noise level prevented her from hearing anything he said. When their number was called for laser tag, Kim kicked off her heels and creamed him thoroughly.

She emerged from the mock battle smiling despite herself. There was no way in hell she'd actually go out with him again, but she wasn't ready to cremate him in ethogy to Carri either. However, when she asked to be taken home, he'd driven her to his house, not hers and as they pulled into his garage, she asked him what he thought he was doing.

"So he turns to me and tells me that he's _paid_ for the evening and now it's time for me to _pay_ him back upstairs."

"What did you say?" Hayley asked, ignoring Tommy's stern looks and kick under the table. Kim was a fabulous storyteller and she couldn't wait to hear the end of the tale.

"I said: _What do I look like, your gift with purchase_?"

Hayley laughed and Kim laughed with her. Tommy was stewing. Kim wasn't upset, if anything she was glib about it, but he was ready for blood. What concerned him most was that he honestly didn't know if he was ready to deck the guy for being an asshole or if he wanted to strangle him for wanting to have sex with her. He ground his teeth together and said nothing.

"It's not the worst date I've ever had." Kim confessed, "But it's up there. I demanded he take me home and he got out of the car, put the garage door down, and walked inside his house. I just transported back here."

"You're serious?" Tommy asked. Never in his life would he have left a woman to find her own way home. He'd been turned down before, but he always took the girl back. Of course, he'd always had better sense than this idiot apparently did.

"I'm serious." Kim answered, finishing her tea. "It was weird. I mean, he didn't _pay_ for anything. He used coupons and a gift certificate…I'm supposed to be all hot to trot for him after that?…and this guy makes at least six figures under my uncle, he's not struggling. He lives over in Angel Estates by the golf course."

"I meant that he just left you in the garage afterward."

Kim nodded, tossing her cup in the recycling cubical. "That was creepy." She said. "I wonder how many girls have been stuck like that? I wasn't scared, I'm a Power Ranger for God's sake, the guy was going down if he tried to rape me…but I'm the boss's niece, he shares an office with my brother. What's with that?"

"What was the worst date?" Hayley asked.

"Didn't you say you wanted to check on Carri?" Tommy interrupted. He was done with stories about Kim's love life. He liked the idea very much that she didn't have one. If he was wrong, he sincerely didn't want to be corrected.

"Yeah." Kim said standing up and pushing her chair in. "I should go, it was nice meeting you Hayley. Will we see more of you down here?"

Hayley smiled and nodded. "I hope so." She said. She liked Kim. She liked her more than she thought she would. "Tommy was just about to pay for dinner," she said suddenly. "Nothing fancy, but better than fast food. Wanna come?"

"Thanks," Kim said, genuinely, "but I'm done for the night. I'm going to check on Carri and then enjoy a rare moment of quiet back at the condo." She placed a hand on Tommy shoulder as she left, "I'll see you tomorrow." She said. "Night." She called back over her shoulder to Hayley.

"I was just going to pay for what?" Tommy asked when Kim had left the cafeteria area.

"I like her." Hayley said matter-of-factly.

"No." Tommy warned. The last thing he needed was Hayley meddling with his friendship with Kim. They had just started to develop an easy rapport; he didn't need Hayley screwing it up. "Stay out of it Hayley." Tommy growled. "I'm serious."

"So am I." She grinned mischievously.

* * *

Carri pushed Rocky away with a shove. "Quit it." She said testily, fatigue taking some of the sting out of her voice. 

"Carri." Rocky sighed with exasperation. All he'd tried to do was kiss her. She wouldn't let him near her. It broke his heart that she pushed him away.

"I don't care about the scars." He said gently. "It's you I love."

"Bullshit." She said angrily and refused to look at him.

"I'm serious." He said. "Damnit, all I want is to be with you.

"I don't want to be touched." She said firmly.

"Does it hurt when I touch you?" He asked. If it was just a matter of sensitivity, he could understand that a little better.

"No." She said simply.

"Do you understand that I don't care what it looks like?"

She nodded silently, tears falling from her eyes. His heart bled for her. She was trying hard to prove she wasn't superficial, but it was difficult. She looked like a burn victim, except the scars were symmetrical and a purple color.

"Then why?"

Her shoulders slumped a little. "It's gross, I look like a walking raspberry. How can you stand to even look at me?" She turned her back on him and folded her arms.

Rocky had explained that Billy was willing to use his influence to send her to Aquitar, but there were side effects. The healing treatments there would take weeks to complete and would most likely leave her sterile. Carri had never wanted kids, that didn't bother her, but the idea that couldn't have them if she changed her mind was unsettling. Rocky was the only man she'd even come close to considering having a child with. She knew he didn't want them either, but that was because he was overwhelmed right now with his family. What if he changed his mind ten years from now and suddenly wanted one? What if the waters couldn't heal her skin? What if her immune system never calmed down? Would he turn away from her because she was too much maintenance? Her mind was overwhelmed with the uncertainty of it all.

Rocky walked over to her and put his arms around her from behind. "Sweetheart, the whole time you were unconscious, I prayed the hardest I've ever prayed in my life that you'd be ok. I don't care what it looks like. All that matters is that you weren't taken from me."

Carri turned in his arms, burying her face in his chest, and burst into tears. He held her gently, rubbing her back, and shedding a few tears of his own.

* * *

"They're moving." Teeg said breathlessly. "Make sure we have a steady lock on them before they engage the hyper dive. I won't lose them now." 

She stared at the screen, watching the Nova's re-dock with the _Enzway_. "Engage tracking sequences now." She ordered, her breath coming a bit faster. "Do not allow them to know we're in pursuit." The claw like nails of her hands protracted and curved outward, betraying the adrenaline rush she felt. The pupils of her eyes narrowed to diamond like slits and a low growl rumbled upward from her chest. The hunt was on.

* * *

Kim's communicator went off early the next morning, barely after sunrise. She rolled quickly out of bed, dressed, and transported to the Command Center; surprised to see Carri dressed and out of the medical bed. 

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I've had better mornings." Carri said quietly. Kim walked over to hug her, but she turned away. "Tommy's called in a replacement for me." She said. She cocked her head to one side and Kim noticed Karone sitting quietly behind them.

"Just until you get your strength back Carri." Tommy re-assured her. He knew the transfer wasn't going to go over well, but Carri was in no shape to fight. She could barely stand for more than a few minutes and the Aquitian treatments Billy was sending her for would take weeks. "Karone knows this is a temporary assignment. She's filled in for Rangers before, it's not permanent."

Carri shrugged her shoulders and fought back the tears. She'd barely had a morpher for three months. Was she ever going to be more than just a short term Ranger? This was the worst day of her life. She didn't want to be sent off to a strange planet. Rocky had volunteered to go with her, but he was needed here. There was nothing he could do for her on Aquitar anyway. It was hard enough to come up with a cover story for just for her.

"What's going on?" Kim asked. She couldn't read Carri's face, it was too swollen, but Rocky looked devastated.

"I'm going to Aquitar for treatment." Carri said sullenly, "They paged you so I could say goodbye."

"This is good sweetie," Kim said, gently touching her arm. "The quicker you go for treatment, the more effective it is."

Carri nodded, but didn't say anything.

"The transporter's ready." Billy interjected. "Cestro is standing by to receive you." He gently led Carri to the main transporter. "Don't let Cestria get to you." He advised. His ex wasn't inclined to help him, but she'd been massively overruled by the friends he still had there. He didn't think she'd cause any problems for her, but he wasn't positive. "Delphine has agreed to watch out for you. She has a lot of political power. Cestria won't cross her. I'll check in on you every chance I get."

"Want me to mess with Cestria?" Carri asked as she settled into the transporter.

"What do you mean?' He asked quietly, pleased to hear a little of the old Carri in her voice.

"Tell her how happy you are with your new wife and baby?"

"Careful," He warned, "Cestria can be vicious."

"I can hardly wait then." She quipped. She sighed heavily, as if resigning herself to her fate and Billy smiled at her, impressed by her strength despite everything that was happening. She was going to be fine.

Rocky stepped forward, looking like the world was about to end, and Billy moved aside to let them say goodbye.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" He asked, sliding his arms around her and holding her tightly against him. She didn't resist him, but she didn't return his embrace either.

"No." She said, her voice breaking. She leaned against him, absorbing the feeling of him one more time. Despite his continued reassurances, she was not at all confident that he would remain with her. How could he? Her body was gross, her insides damaged. She was in for a long, hard recovery and their relationship was fairly new.

"I love you." He said kissing the top of her head. "I'll keep in touch over the communications system and I'll be right here when you get back."

She leaned harder into his embrace, but said nothing. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. What the hell was she going to do? What would they have in common outside of Rangering? There was just no way he would stay with her.

She broke the contact, pushing him away and nodding to Billy that she was ready.

"Standby." Billy said and Rocky stepped back behind the consol. Carri closed her eyes as the transport beam powered up. A few seconds later she was gone.

* * *

The bee can monster didn't hold off long. Within a few hours of Carri's departure, it was back with a vengeance, attacking the citizens in Angel Grove Park. 

"All right guys, like we planned it." Tommy said, as they transported in. He watched as each of them fanned out, carrying their assigned poles. They checked in as they reached their positions. It was strange to hear Karone's voice coming from Carri's uniform. That was going to take a bit of getting used to.

"We're in position." Tommy called to Billy. "Initiating the sound sequence now."

Sound waves began to generate from the poles and the monster exploded into thousands of little bee cans. This time, however, the tiny monsters were contained within the sound circle and exploded again into even smaller monsters.

"It's working guys." Billy called. "They're almost small enough now to initiate…" Before he could finish there was a huge flash of red light and the monster grew to sixty feet.

"Ok, please tell me we were expecting that." Kim said as the Rangers scattered.

"We need Zeo Zord Power." Tommy ordered.

* * *

"Sirius!" Zed yelled from his throne. "Just what the hell is going on here? I didn't tell you to send that thing back to Earth!" 

Sirius looked in dismay at the viewing globe. "My lord," He assured, panic tainting his normally soft voice, "It was not me who released the monster. It was well contained when I left it a few hours ago."

"Call it back." Zedd ordered.

"My lord, I'm trying." Sirius shrieked, frantically flipping dials and turning switches on his control board. "It won't obey my commands!"

"Having trouble with one of your pets?" Rita sneered. This was going to be fun. One of the girl Rangers going to die, Sirius was going to be knocked down a peg, and she was going to get kudos for capturing a coin, all without ever leaving the throne room.

"Shut up Rita." Zedd ordered. The last thing he needed was that little witch witnessing the meltdown of his command. "Shut the monster down Sirius, or I'll feed you to Teeg on the next transport."

"I'm trying my lord," Sirius wailed. "I'm trying."

* * *

Kim had been thrown from her zord. For some reason the monster had singled her out and attacked with a vengeance. She hit the ground with a thud and rolled to absorb the impact; shaking her head. The monster was emitting some kind of red cloud that induced the same type of reaction as the little stings. Her vision blurred slightly. 

"I'm all right." She answered, as Tommy demanded she report in. "Just winded… Billy, there's an open hatch at the base of the lower right leg on the monster. Can you see it?"

She heard Billy confirm her ground surveillance and coughed spastically as the red cloud encompassed her again. "I think I can get your device inside, transport it to me."

"Absolutely not," Tommy ordered. "It's too dangerous, regroup and form the megazord."

"Billy transport it to me, I can get myself in and out." Kim called back. "I'm probably the only one that can do it…that armor's too tough and the hole is too small for the zords."

Billy apparently agreed with her because the device appeared a few feet away. She grabbed it and transported herself to the open hole. She set the device for maximum power and threw it inside. A few seconds later she began to hear the explosions and she transported herself back to the ground.

* * *

"What happened?" Zedd demanded as the viewing globe showed huge explosions on the planet's surface. 

"Four-seventy-two appears to be imploding." Sirius replied, relief clear in his voice. This was the one and only time in his life that he'd been thankful for the destruction of a monster at the hands of an enemy. If Zedd didn't destroy him for this, Teeg might. It was an unforgivable breach of security. He didn't understand how this could have happened.

There were relatively few creatures occupying the Lunar Palace. In its heyday, thousands had lived here, but even with a steady trickle of monsters arriving daily, it was hardly crowded. Whoever had broken into his lab had broken through the best security systems known to the galaxy. There was simply no one here who could do that.

"And the Rangers?" Zedd growled.

"I show five life signs…uh….oh my." Sirius swallowed hard. This was not good, not good at all. He was in desperate trouble now.

"What is it?" Zedd demanded. He was beginning to panic… and he didn't like the feeling.

"Uh, my lord…there are only four life signs for the Rangers."  
"What?" Zedd all but screamed, standing up on the dais.

"One of the Rangers appears to be… deceased." He replied slowly.

Zedd sat back on the throne slowly, hand in front of his facemask. "Which one?" he asked quietly. He wasn't at all sure he wanted to hear the answer.

* * *

Inside the red cloud of smoke and haze created by the monsters explosion, Kimberly shook her head to clear it of the ringing noise in her ears. The blast had de-morphed her, but she didn't feel any major damage. She stood up, but fell back to the ground, well, maybe a little damage, she conceded silently. She took stock of herself again and realized how weak she actually was. She hadn't thought she'd been hit that hard. Red smoke billowed around her causing her to cough spastically. She forced herself up, still coughing and gagging. She was dizzy and lights flashed around her eyes. From somewhere behind her, an arm, thick and strong as steel, wrapped around her neck. A red ball of energy flashed in front of her face. 

"Bang." The woman said softly as Kimberly crumpled against her. "You're dead." She placed another arm around Kimberly's body as it fell downward and the two disappeared in a flash of red light.

* * *

Tommy gave the order to return to base and a few seconds later the Rangers appeared in the Command Center. 

"Where's Kimberly?" Rocky asked, looking around him.

Tommy looked around frantically, he thought he'd seen her stand back up after the monster exploded, but she hadn't returned to the Command Center.

"I can't find a signal on her." Billy said, adjusting several dials on the consol.

"Scan for her energy signature instead of the Zeo signature." Tommy said, coming over to stand next to him.

Billy stood up and backed away from the consol. "I've already done that. She isn't there. Her last recorded energy signal is just before the explosion."

Tommy looked over and saw Jason, white as death, leaning against the other consol.

"I can't feel her." Jason said incredulously, panic building in his chest. "I can't feel her." He repeated. He closed his eyes and concentrated with all his might… nothing. That had never happened before.

In the ten years since Muirantias, he'd always felt her. They'd had a couple of close calls, but he always been able to connect with her on some level. They shared the same power. It flowed from one into the other. Her link to him through Muirantias had definitely been severed. It was as empty as if it had never existed. How that could happen, he didn't know. If Kim was alive, she was cut off from her powers. If she was alive, he thought grimly, she wouldn't survive long without those powers.

Panic and grief built up in is chest. "Oh God," he said numbly, leaning heavily against the consol. "She's gone..."

"Would you still be able to detect her if she'd been taken inner-dimensionally?" Billy asked hopefully.

"Yes." He answered, his voice breaking. "There's nothing there." He said incredulously, unwilling to accept what he knew had to be true.

Karone walked over and laid a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, the others just stared numbly as the realization hit them that Kim was missing and most likely already dead. The world felt like it should have stopped, instead it just kept surreally moving forward.

Tommy turned away and walked slowly across the room to the fish tank she'd set up the previous day. The silence in the Command Center was deafening. It was like a bad dream that couldn't possibly be happening. But it had happened and none of them would wake up to find it was over. If Jason couldn't feel her, someone who was connected to her by a live and active bond, then she was really gone.

But, wouldn't he know if she was dead? Tommy thought numbly, grief stealing his breath away. Envy punctured the grief as well. Why was Jason the only one to feel her absence? He had loved her too. Once upon a time, they had shared a similar link. His mind was numb and refused to process the information. It wasn't true, he told himself, it couldn't be true. A life-force that bright and strong didn't just vanish. From somewhere behind him he heard Trini sob, but the sound was far away and distant to his ears. He wasn't even sure when she'd returned to the Command Center.

He placed one hand against the cold glass of the tank and watched as the two fish wiggled around in front of him. Deep down there was a place inside him where she still existed. It had been there since the first moment he saw her. It wasn't active anymore, he'd known that for a long time, but love, real love, didn't just go away. The loss of it faded or could be ignored, but it never went away completely.

Why wouldn't he feel something? It didn't make sense. He had all these powers, he should feel something… anything. Yet the part of him that was still linked to her wasn't cold or empty or vacant as Jason was experiencing, it was as warm as it had always been. He turned his thoughts inward, openly exploring an area that had been shunned for years.

He closed his eyes… concentrating… searching. That part of his soul was not easily opened. It had been carefully locked away and years of hurt and scars and insecurities fought to keep it shut. Yet, underneath it all, she was still there. The bond was as solid as the first day it had been forged. He forced his mind to plow ahead, searching for any sign, tracing down any link, and when he found it, he grabbed hold as tightly as he could.

"She's alive." Tommy said with firm certainly. All eyes turned to him. "She's definitely alive." He repeated.

"I can't feel her." Jason said, his voice hoarse with emotion.

"I can." Tommy said, meeting his eyes.


	8. Chapter 8: Evil is as Evil Does

Power Rangers: The Coins

Chapter 8: Evil Is As Evil Does

* * *

Author's note: Kanara's_ name has been changed to Kemora. _

_

* * *

_

Kemora has taken Kim hostage and is planning on killing her. The Rangers have the key to finding them, the question is if they can get there in time.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks.. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

**All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension.**

* * *

All eyes turned to Tommy after his declaration. 

"Are you sure?" Jason asked. He wanted desperately to believe him, but there was no denying his own link to Kim was completely gone.

"I'm positive." Tommy said firmly.

The communications signal beeped eerily out of place from the main control board. Billy gently disengaged Trini and walked over to answer the call. A strangely familiar figure with glowing red eyes, dressed in black leather, filled the new screen he had just installed.

"Kim?" Trini asked incredulously.

"Oooo, I'm afraid not." The figure teased and then laughed manically… evilly. The woman was insane, that much was obvious, but, except for her strange glowing red eyes with diamond like black slits, she looked and sounded exactly like Kimberly.

"Kemora." Jason growled, eyes full of hatred. He knew that laugh, knew those eerie looking eyes; he'd never forget. This was the creature who had tried to kill him, to steal his powers. The woman who had tried countless times to kill Kimberly. The others turned to him as he slowly rose from the console. "What the hell have you done?"

"Feeling a bit unsure now that your security blanket is gone J?" The woman teased, "Oh poor, poor baby. Whatever will you do now that your stronger half has been decimated?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Kimberly?" Tommy demanded, walking into the screen's view. The woman took notice of him, squinting a bit, then gave him an evilly seductive look.

"How sweet," She drolled, "The resident Tommy."

"What do you want Kemora?" Jason demanded. The woman toyed a bit with her hair, twisting it around her finger, face alternating between a self-satisfied smirk and borderline hysteria. Her eyes glowed as she turned a look of pure evil into the screen.

"Thomas." She hissed. "Send him to me. The coordinates have been sent to your computer."  
"I have no way of contacting him." Jason said evenly. "Kimberly keeps the two of us separated."

Thomas, Jason thought sadly, his gut sinking, was as insane as the woman before him. He knew Kimberly kept a working relationship with him. How she could stand him after what he'd done to her, he just didn't know. He assumed it was their mutual desire to see Kemora destroyed.

"Then you'd better find a way." Kemora snapped. Her voice had taken on an unnatural snake like quality. Her eyes would brighten and dim as if following the rhythm of her heart. "I've taken her from you J." She crooned, a hysterical edge sharpening her words. "I've cut her off as cleanly as I cut my Jason." An evil laugher bubbled up from her chest and then she sighed as if taking great pleasure from the memory. "I'm sure dearest K told you what happened to him. The slow, excruciatingly painful death he suffered as I stole his power and allowed his body to rot." Her voice had begun to grow louder and she spat the last word as if she were physically twisting a knife in his gut. She giggled then, insanity grabbing her mind. "You have less than twelve hours before her body begins to decompose. I suggest you figure it out." The transmission ended and the screen blanked.

"Who was that?" Rocky asked.

"Kemora." Jason answered. "She's Kim, just a Kim from a different dimension."

"Let me guess," Tommy said, "In that dimension the Turbo Rangers didn't change her back to the good side on Muirantias."

"The Turbo Rangers had nothing to do with it." Jason said honestly, turning to face him. "Lerigot was too weak to harness the friendship of the Rangers. He used the love you still had for Kim to turn her around." He didn't care that Tommy winced at his comment; it was true. "That's why I didn't turn at the same time. Lerigot had to wait for Kim's heart to be reopened, then he and Yara used the cosmic key to focus Kim's Muirantian power and link we share to change me over. Kemora's Tommy didn't love her, he was in love with Katherine. That one fact changed everything."

Friendship alone hadn't been enough to turn Kimberly. Sweet as she was, Kimberly had an extremely competitive nature and an incredible capacity for vengeance. She had been full of jealous rage when word came of Tommy's growing relationship with Katherine; rage that was put to good use by Maligore.

The difference between their world and Kemora's was that Kemora's Tommy had been truly in love with Katherine, not her. The love of friendship the Ranger's offered had been too little for her to overcome the jealous hatred boiling in their Kimberly's heart… and without Kimberly, Jason couldn't be turned either.

Once born, Kemora had slaughtered the Rangers and Lerigot, her evil power growing as she drained the life-force from each of them. When they were gone, everything that had been Kimberly simply melted away. The taste for blood growing and her jealous hatred not nearly quenched, she'd turned on her Jason, killing him and stealing his powers, just as Dark Specter had turned on Maligore centuries before.

Kemora had all Kimberly's abilities and absolutely none of her will power. She traveled from alternate dimension to alternate dimension, taking her revenge out on any Kim, Tommy, or Katherine she happened to meet. She had developed a pattern of sorts. She would travel through time and space, finding a place where a Kimberly was at just about the same point in her life that Kemora had her heart broken. She would murder the Kim, in Kemora's mind putting her out of her misery, steal her identity, and slip back into Angel Grove. Once she had rejoined the Ranger's circle of friends, she would brutally murder the Katherine, leaving the Tommy heartbroken to suffer the rest of his natural life.

But dimensions developed differently. About half the time she'd come across a dimension where Kimberly had never left for Florida, but stayed with her Tommy. It would have been rational to believe that Kemora would leave this couple be. It was supposedly her jealousy of Katherine that fueled her murderous desires. But these couples were more brutally destroyed than the others. Kemora was hardly a sane demon. In her mind it was far more unfair that another Kimberly should spend a happy life with Tommy when she herself had been denied that happiness. These Kimberly's were brutally tortured, their Tommy's often forced to watch in helpless horror. This had been the case with Thomas.

In Thomas's dimension, his Kimberly had become pregnant in the junior year of high school. Although Katherine did substitute her position as the pink Ranger, that Kimberly never left Angel Grove. She and Tommy had married, and she had given birth to a son. Kemora had lashed out at this Kimberly, brutally tearing apart the baby and torturing Kimberly to death. Thomas had been unable to save them and held his Kimberly in his arms as she died. The experience had warped him. He was nearly as insane as Kemora.

He turned his back on his world and the Rangers, allowing the Machine Empire and later other villains to conquer it. Eventually, he also found a way to track Kemora and hunted her across time and space. Somehow, Jason wasn't exactly sure how, Thomas had stumbled across the Kimberly in their dimension. She was Muirantian, like Kemora, but a version devoted to good. Thomas had convinced her to help him and the two had begun to track the demon together, trying to stop her before she altered too many dimensional timelines.

"That's the strangest story I've ever heard." Karone said as Jason finished. "And I know a lot of strange stories."

"How does Kim contact Thomas?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know." Jason said honestly, "She just does. I've only been around Kim a few times when he's showed up. There's a buzzing noise. Once you've heard it you don't forget it. Kim is able to latch on to it and find him."

"Fascinating." Billy said. "Kimberly is able to transport herself across time and dimensional barriers?"

"That's the least of what they use her for." Jason said. At Tommy's questioning look, he hurried on, "Don't ask. If Kemora has Kimberly, she'll kill her." Jason closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "She'll do it slowly, so we have time, but we have to figure out how to call Thomas into our dimension."

"Did I hear my name?" A figure asked, slowly moving from the shadows in the archway behind them.

* * *

"Well, well," Kemora sneered. "How the tables have turned." 

Kimberly didn't respond. Responding would prove nothing. The force field bound her tightly and drained her powers; She was trapped. It was the same trap Kim and Thomas had used on her nearly a year ago. She wasn't as helpless as Kemora thought, she and Thomas had prepared for this possibility.

She had contacted him after Tommy's encounter with the ghost. He would arrive soon; she just had to hang on. Oddly, Thomas had been to see her less than a week before to say Kemora was on the move.

Kim stared blankly at the walls of the dimension where she was held, if they could be called walls. She wondered if they were really moving flows of lava or if her eyesight was just shot. She shifted positions and focused on Kemora. The image was sharp and well defined, so it was the walls moving and not her perception of them. Exhausted, she allowed her eyes to flutter closed.

"Wake up!" Kemora screeched, slapping her painfully across the face. One slap turned into two, which turned into nearly a minute of frenzied beatings. Kemora staggered away, breathing heavily and cackling insanely. "I want you to remember every second of this." She croaked hoarsely. She giggled again, the giggles turning into the maniacal laughter.

Kim spat blood from her mouth. Her vision blurred and Kemora seemed to double and twist up and down. She felt awful. It wasn't the physical pounding she'd just endured. She had been beaten before. Those kind of injuries would heal in time.

"Poor K…or what is it Dulcea calls you? Kaycea?" Kemora crooned. "That's right…you're not Kimberly anymore are you? You're demon spawn like me…and soon you won't be that anymore."

Kim felt oddly disconnected, weak, like a piece of paper that would simply blow away in the slightest breeze. She felt…human. It was an odd sensation, one she had craved for many years, but now that it was here, she didn't like it very much. She realized she was dying. Kemora had cut her off from Muirantias and she couldn't regenerate her power. She would have to conserve it, wait for Thomas to find her. She hoped he was not very far behind.

* * *

"How the hell did you get in here?" Jason snapped, whirling on Thomas. 

"Most Command Centers only bother scanning for the biological signatures of the resident Tommy." Thomas said, regarding Jason coolly. It was odd to see him standing there. No matter how many dimensions he traveled to, it was always unnerving to see a living and breathing Jason again. "It wasn't that difficult to locate the energy barrier surrounding this place and break in."

Tommy shifted his gaze from Thomas to Jason and back to Thomas again. It wasn't the first time he'd encountered another version of himself. It was like meeting a twin, someone who looked just like you, but who had developed a bit differently.

Thomas was much older than he was or, at least, appeared to be much older than he was. He had long graying hair and kept it tied back at the base of his neck. He was far more muscular than Tommy was, as if he'd enhanced himself somehow, and he had a cold and distant look in his eyes. Jason obviously had something against Thomas. He watched him cautiously, as if waiting for an attack. Jason had told Kemora that Kim kept them separated, Tommy wondered briefly why.

"Kemora has Kimberly." Tommy said plainly, belying the depth of the panic he felt in his chest. Thomas shifted his gaze to Tommy, slowly looking him up and down, gauging his physical strengths and weaknesses. When their eyes met, Tommy noticed something different about him; he was struggling. The movements were tiny and well concealed, but it was an effort for him to maintain an aura of calm. There was an oddness to his eyes, an echo of a broken soul. Jason was right, Thomas was insane.

Thomas broke his eye contact sharply and surveyed the room and its occupants, stopping briefly on Karone and noticing her yellow shirt. He'd been through a few other dimensions with a Karone. That she was here with this team, was an odd twist to an otherwise fairly stable dimensional outline. Trini was also back, he noted mentally. That was another stable pattern. Where Karone was a Ranger, Billy got his Trini back, where she stayed Astronima, Billy died on Aquitar. A lifetime ago, that thought would have made him smile, but now there was nothing.

Thomas hadn't felt many emotions outside of the desire to murder Kemora for a very long time. That wasn't quite true, he admitted to himself. K had become his friend. He couldn't quite bring himself to call her Kimberly, the very thought of that name threatened to unleash the overwhelming pain that had all but destroyed him. He couldn't think of her, couldn't remember her, and couldn't even hear her name. It was too difficult; the void would claim him again.

Kaycea, or K, was merely another form of Kemora. A weapon to be used. He didn't think of her as another form of his Kimberly. His Kimberly had been sweet and kind and very much a little valley girl. She'd never developed the way K had. She'd never had the chance. She'd died when she was only eighteen years old…it seemed a millennia ago.

He'd chased Kemora forever. With K, at least he had a chance to destroy her once and for all. He no longer wanted to torture Kemora the way she had tortured his wife and son. Torture only allowed her the chance to escape. K had taught him that. He had a way to contain her now. When he caught up to her, it would be fast and efficient, with no wiggle room.

"She's been cut off from her power source." Jason said coldly and Thomas nodded. He had no doubt Kemora would use the same trap they had set for her before. It took a long time, which made it pretty much useless, but it also gave him time to go after K.

"K will be fine." He said simply. "We were prepared for this contingency."

"Contingency?" Jason barked, a touch of hysteria lining his voice. "Contingency? Is that all you're capable of feeling for her? You cold-hearted bastard, her link to Muirantias has been cut off. She's going to die a slow, painful death without a power source. She can't regenerate."

Thomas regarded him coolly. His words stung, but he buried the feeling. He and K had been prepared for an attack like this from Kemora. She might be a powerful demon, but Kemora was not very original. Revenge lined every aspect of her thought. In that respect, she and Thomas were very much alike. When Kemora's spirit escaped their trap, he and K both knew that she would very likely turn around and try to put K back in it. It was always an eye for an eye with Kemora. The only surprise was that it had taken her so long.

"What do you mean, regenerate?" Trini asked.

"Maybe the two of you should fill us in." Tommy suggested, taking a seat and indicating with his eyes that one of the two of them should begin. Thomas leaned against the wall of the Command Center archway and raised one eyebrow towards Jason. Jason struggled for a few moments, trying to gather his thoughts and decide where to begin.

"Kim and I are human," he began, "But a little different…"

When Kim and Jason had been lowered into the Pit of Eternal Fire by Divatox, their bodies had been melted away. It was a fast process, consisting of only a few seconds, but it had been excruciating painful. Every second seemed to drag on for an eternity and they had remained conscious throughout. The pit itself was not evil; it was simply a power source. However, Maligore had been trapped there for centuries by Dark Specter and he was in control over how the power was utilized.

When the last of the ash from their bodies had dissipated, Maligore used the power in the pit to regenerate them. He used their DNA as building blocks, selectively choosing which genes to replicate and which to throw away, often sharing back and forth between the two. This effectively recreated their bodies in the same forms, but just a little different. The regeneration process had been more excruciating than the destruction phase, lasting nearly a minute, but when it was done, they were stronger and healthier than ever before.

To the casual or even slightly scrutinizing observer, there was very little differentiation between their old bodies and their new ones, except for one, very critical anomaly. There is a tiny organism called mitochondria, which energizes normal, human cells. It's the powerhouse, the tiny battery that gives each cell the energy it needs to perform. Kim and Jason didn't have mitochondria. It was a different organism, one that drew its power directly from the Pit of Eternal Fire. It connected them, gave them their strength, and allowed them to draw power directly from the pit itself. If Kim was cut off from it, she was cut off from the energy she needed for her cells to function. The cells would run out of energy and begin to die.

"I don't know how much time she has." Jason finished, emotion heavy in his voice. "I can't feel her, I don't know how bad it is."

Thomas regarded him coolly. It was a bit touching how much this Jason felt for K. He honestly couldn't remember if his Kimberly and Jason had been very close. He and his Jason had been rivals. They had developed an odd sort of friendship until his wife had been killed. After that, the two had remained distant. Thomas hadn't blinked twice at his Jason's death at the hands of Mondo. That was not necessarily the norm on other worlds. In most dimensions the two were nearly as close as brothers.

"All right." Tommy said slowly, turning toward Thomas. "Your turn."

Thomas eyed his double cautiously. Tommy was not nearly as ambivalent about K's disappearance as he assumed he would be. He knew the history between the two very well.

He'd been surprised when this Tommy had given up his relationship with Katherine. It didn't happen very often. Most worlds were fairly equally divided. Tommy either chose Katherine or he chose Kimberly, growing old with either one or the other. It was a very rare occurrence for him to end up with someone else, although he had encountered it.

This Tommy was obviously still struggling with his feelings toward K. This was contrary to what she had told him. K had confided in him that her Tommy wanted nothing to do with her and he accepted this information because her Tommy's behavior was consistent with other dimensions.

She had supposedly tried to get him to take her back on more than one occasion, but he had sent her packing each time. She'd been devastated and he honestly held a soft spot in his heart for her because of it. He understood the denial of that love. Thomas had traveled across time and dimensional boundaries for hundreds of years. He had been honest with her that it was very unlikely her Tommy would change his mind. In the dimensions where Tommy left both Kim and Katherine, the Tommy would grow into a solitary figure, rebuffing the universe around him. Not too unlike the creature he himself had become.

This Tommy surprised him though, and that didn't happen very often. He maintained an outward calm, but there was a part of him that was definitely in crisis over K's capture. He knew that panic all too well. He hadn't been able to save her either. He'd held her, sobbing and begging for her to stay with him, but she'd been far too weak. She hadn't been able to speak. She just stared at him, willing him to know how much she loved him. He banished the memory forcefully. It would do him no good to re-live it now.

He honestly felt sorry for this Tommy. K was powerful, she had a chance of surviving this, but if she didn't, this Tommy was going to lose her. It was going to break him, just as it had broken Thomas. But the reality was that the universe would be far better off if K's body died. K was demon spawn like Kemora and, like Kemora, she'd be far more powerful without her mortal body.

"About a year ago, I discovered a way to trap Kemora." Thomas began, skipping much of the information he knew they wanted to hear. It wasn't relevant, and he had no desire to share it.

Thomas had discovered a type of force field that would hold a creature in-between space and dimensional barriers, yet allow them to physically age. This was not a natural phenomenon, but it was an important one. It would cut Kemora off from her power source and drain her energies, causing her body to die. In theory, both Maligore and Dark Specter had been destroyed, despite their connections to the Pit of Fire, so they were confident that Kemora would also meet her end.

They were wrong. Kemora was not Dark Specter by any stretch of the imagination, but she was demon born and a very powerful inter-dimensional sorceress. That changed the equation considerably. Her spirit had lived and traveled through time and space until she found another parallel world. Her spirit took over the body of the resident Kimberly and the killing began all over again. But there was a problem with Kemora's new body; it wasn't Muirantian. Kemora's energy wore it out fairly quickly and she'd had to find another one.

Most Kimberlys who endured the Pit of Fire on Muirantias didn't survive. They were killed either by the Rangers or they were destroyed battling their Jasons. Kemora and K were the only examples of survivors he'd ever found. It was his opinion that Kemora had set out to find another Muirantian Kimberly and steal her body. The problem was that she'd have to do it within seconds of that Kimberly emerging from the pit; otherwise the resident Kimberly would be too strong for her. It was a highly unlikely scenario and Thomas didn't believe this had happened yet, but he couldn't ignore the possibility.

As far as he knew, Kemora had worn out two, possibly three human Kimberlys in her search. He did know that she had recently killed because his readings indicated she was strong. It was his opinion that Kemora's attention span just wasn't long enough to find another Muirantian body. She needed her revenge against K now and refused to wait until she was stronger.

But either scenario really didn't matter, they simply needed to find the dimension K was being held in, release her, and contain Kemora's spirit. It wasn't as dire as they seemed to think. K was also demon born, if her body was already irretrievable, at least they knew her spirit would live. The primary objective was to contain Kemora's spirit before she could find another Muirantian body and, after a long search, he was now able to do that.

Tommy stared at Thomas, bile rising in his throat. The man had talked casually, as if his story were no more than an chapter in a book he'd recently read. He showed no emotion what so ever when he spoke of Kim, or K, as he called her. His primary concern seemed only to be that Kemora didn't escape.

"What are the contingencies you spoke of ?" Tommy asked. Thomas shifted a bit, but then resumed his casual tone.

"She found an alternate power source." He said simply. "A battery, if you will. If won't keep her alive forever, but it will stabilize her body longer than Kemora is expecting. And afterward…" He shrugged, but didn't elaborate."

"How long?" Jason asked.

Thomas shrugged again, looking bored with them. "Maybe an extra hour or two, maybe a little more. Kemora's body disintegrated in just under twelve hours."

"Will you help us get Kim back safely?" Tommy asked.

Thomas smiled, if that's what you could call it. It was evil and deadly looking. "I'll help you capture Kemora." He said truthfully.

* * *

Carri gasped for air as the water rushed past her on the way down the drain. It filled her lungs, icy and cold. Breathing the oxygenated water of Aquitar had been an unnerving experience. It was like suffocating and then suddenly you realized you weren't dead at all, merely held in suspension. 

"That is enough for today." Cestria declared. Her voice sounded strange to Carri, as if she were talking underwater. All of the Aquitians sounded like that. "Return to your quarters and regenerate during the dark hours."

"Did you have to drain that tank so fast?" Carri gasped, still adjusting to the cold air in her lungs. She shivered violently and Cestria's assistant cautiously handed her towel like sheet. It didn't help that she'd been dumped naked into the tank. Everyone coming in and out of the lab had stared at her; it was mortifying. Carri wrapped the sheet tightly around her scarred body and glared at Cestria's back.

The Aquitians were an odd-looking race. They looked a lot like humans, but had obviously taken a different evolutionary path. Their heads were larger and seemed not to have a have an upper skull at all, just a thin layer of soft skin, and they had extra ridges above the eyes made of cartilage that circled back around the entire head.

While their bodies seemed almost to swim through the air in fluid movements, their heads bobbed in small jerky motions and when they twisted their necks in certain directions, Carri could see gill like flaps of skin open and close. It seemed like only the females had hair, which jutted out of the back of their ridges and females seemed to be the dominant gender.

This part of Aquitar seemed far more serine and quiet than Angel Grove. Most of the planet itself was completely covered by water, although there were a few mountain ranges that sustained a dryer environment. It had been recently conquered twice, that Carri knew of, first by something called a Hydro Hog and later by Divatox; who was the same villain that had dumped Kim and Jason into the Pit of Eternal Fire.

Carri was too new to the planet to determine if that's why the Aquitians were so anti social to strangers. She didn't expect a friendly greeting from Billy's ex wife, but she thought the others might be a little more amiable.

"Did you hear me?" Carri asked shaking with the cold. Her lips and fingers were blue, but it was barely noticeable beneath the ugly purple scars.

"What do you mean?" Cestria asked absently, busying herself with other tasks around the lab and refusing to look at her.

"The tank filled and drained fast. It hurt going both ways." Carri said, clutching the towel and willing the shivers to stop.

Cestria had filled the tank quickly with ice-cold water and Carri had panicked, thinking she was about to drown. She had drained it just as quickly, and Carri had dropped unceremoniously to the bottom of the tank, bruising her legs and arm. "The water was also painfully cold." She added, teeth chattering. "Humans are warm blooded creatures… at least Earth humans are."

Cestria turned and regarded her as if she were no more than an unwanted ant crawling across her laboratory. "The treatment is what it is. You will adjust." She said plainly, head bobbing to one side.

How Billy could have had a relationship with this creature was beyond her. The woman was a bitch, by any standards. Carri understood now where some of Billy's cold attitude came from. He had spent too many years in this place, she thought sadly. The door opened and Carri was escorted back to her assigned quarters. She was beyond exhausted and wondered briefly if it was the treatment or if Cestria had drugged her.

Teeth chattering, and still naked under the thin cloth, she slid into the narrow plastic bunk and turned the heating element up as high as it would go. She wanted to go home. She didn't care if she was disfigured for life or even if the metal poisoning her body killed her. She wanted to go back to her own world…but that wouldn't solve anything.

Carri had never considered herself vain, but the loss of physical beauty had been far harder for her than she'd realized possible. The sad truth was that Billy's treatments at home would only change the color of the scars, the raised, angry looking tissue was permanent unless she underwent the aquatic treatments here.

Billy had gently explained to her that the skin itself was beyond damaged. It could be repaired, but it would never be normal again. Even with extreme intervention, it would never entirely smooth out and she would never tan evenly. She would have to avoid the sunlight for the rest of her life. As a former beach worshiper and someone who enjoyed nearly all outdoor activities, that was going to be a difficult transition.

She not only had to deal with the external aspects of her condition, but the internal ones as well. Carri's immune system was still in overdrive and she was also suffering from metal poisoning. Billy had put her through several chelating procedures, but massive amounts of metal, particularly aluminum, still poisoned the cells of her body. As the hives seemed to be the source of that aluminum, they had to be removed as quickly as possible; which was going to be an enormous task.

Billy had been willing to use his influence to send her to Aquitar, had been willing to civilly communicate with his ex wife again to help her. She needed to grit her teeth and see this through. The Aquitian Rangers were out on an assignment, perhaps things would be better when they returned and she wasn't left solely at the mercy of Cestria and her flunkies.

Her thoughts drifted back to her condo and Rocky and she burst into tears. She was beyond homesick. She didn't care if she had to stay; she still wanted to go home.

* * *

"Try again." Elemi said, frustration seeping through his normally calm voice. This wasn't right. They had been trying to contact Kimberly for several hours and still no response. They had located another Power Coin. Kimberly had agreed that she would return as soon as she was needed to procure the coins. Without her help, they were stuck. 

Elemi knew the basics of coin retrieval, but without Kimberly, it would be a long and arduous process. They didn't have that long. Teeg's spies were sure to clue in to their movements sooner or later. They needed to get in and get out as soon as possible.

He had ordered the ship to a dead halt several systems short of their target, just in case anyone was watching. Kimberly should have answered by now. He'd been a Ranger too long to ignore the unsettling feeling he had.

"Perhaps we should try a different approach." He said slowly, staring at the stars outside the ship's view screen. "Contact Jason."

"Yes sir." Kee said as she changed frequencies. She risked a tentative look at Garan. He met her gaze and returned her unsettled look.

* * *

Kim was beginning to feel the effects of the force field. There was a buzzing in her head and aches in all her muscles. She felt incredibly tired, as if she had a terrible case of the flu. It was an odd sensation. She hadn't been sick in years. She had spent the last decade bemoaning the fact that she was no longer really human, but now that mortality was once again raising its ugly head, she began to think living another few thousand years wasn't such a bad problem to have. 

Kemora, however, was bored and restlessly shifted from one side of the small chamber to the other. Not nearly enough time had passed, but she was already fed up with waiting. "What's keeping him?" she muttered, she needed something to smash. Her eyes fell on the glowing straps holding Kim in place and a wicked grin spread across her face. She sauntered over and meticulously turned up the power.

Kim twisted and moaned in pain as the bands grew hotter, pulling more and more energy out of her. Every cell in her body felt as if it was on fire.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Kemora crooned. "I've kept the power low, so you'd last longer, but you two didn't show me the same consideration, did you?" She snarled, turning the power up higher. "I want you to suffer K. I want you to suffer like I did before you lose your body and your spirit floats helplessly and alone until you figure out just what the hell happened to you. It's so lonely out there…you have no idea."

Kim didn't answer, she bit her lip until it bloodied and then she howled in pain. Kemora smiled in pleasure at the sound. Kim started to lose consciousness and she turned the power down a bit.

"That won't do at all." She crooned as if talking to a very small child. "You have to stay awake until Thomas gets here. He cares about you. Despite his best efforts to regard you merely as a piece of machinery... he's let you get to him." She cackled and twisted her hair around her finger. "Yes dearest, I'm afraid you have to stay awake until he can see you die, just like his little wifey. It'll push him over the edge to see her dying all over again. He'll make a mistake…and then I'll destroy him."

* * *

"You can't trust him bro." Jason said earnestly, pulling Tommy out of earshot from the others. He didn't like this plan, he didn't like it one bit. 

"We can trust him to keep Kemora busy." Tommy said softly, eyes scanning Thomas's movements around the Command Center. Billy had sent Trini back to the lab for her own safety and Tommy silently wished he could send Karone away too. He didn't like the way Thomas kept eyeing her and he'd called her Astronima more than once. She'd held her own though, silently ignoring him.

Thomas had made it his business to study each of them and the new Command Center in general. Everything about Thomas made him uneasy, but he knew Kemora and they didn't. Jason had admitted to running into her twice, but Kim had done her best to keep the demon well away from him. The result was that he'd never really fought her, just participated in a minor skirmish or two.

"Why does Kim keep you separated from Thomas?" Tommy asked.

"You have to ask?" Jason replied sarcastically. He knew full well Tommy was aware of Thomas's oddness. "I don't know why Kim's kept up her contact with him. Hell, I don't know half the stuff she does let alone the whys. Ever since she fell in with Mother Rita, she's stopped confiding in me."

"Is there anything else you can tell me about him?" Tommy asked.

Jason made a frustrated sound. "Kim swore me to secrecy on most of it." He said. He was beginning to agree with Tommy, the Rangers had too many secrets. "I can tell you he betrayed her."

Tommy's eyebrow rose a bit in surprise. "You want to elaborate?"

"She forgave him." Jason said disgustedly. "All I can tell you is that he uses her. She's no better than a tool to him and she's got some crazy idea she can save him and turn him back around… The guy turned his back on his world, it was conquered and the all the Rangers died. As far as I know that entire dimension turned to evil …and she still wants to save him from himself."

Tommy digested what Jason had to say and considered his options. There weren't many of them and Kim was out of time. He fought the constriction in his chest when he thought of Kim. He'd been too late the last time she needed him on Muirantias, he wasn't about to fail her a second time. "We don't have a choice, we have to use his experience."

Both of them turned their eyes to Thomas, who was staring calmly back at them. "The deactivation keys are ready. Are you ready to assemble your team?" he asked. He had little faith in this dimension's Rangers. How it had spawned something as powerful as K, he wasn't sure. These Rangers were still using the Zeo crystals against Rita and Zedd of all creatures. He didn't need them, he had Kemora exactly where he wanted her, but the truth of the matter was that he honestly wanted K to live. For that, he needed them.

It was the weak link in the plan. He knew that if he was serious about destroying Kemora, he should let K die. Her spirit would live on anyway, it was just the shell that would disappear. But he liked the idea of K growing up and growing old. His beautiful little girl hadn't had the chance and he'd seen far too many Kimberlys die young.

"Call Rocky back." Tommy said to Billy. "Let's move."

* * *

"So what do you think?" Rocky asked. 

"I think you're insane." Adam answered plainly. Rocky had been the last person he expected to show up on his doorstep. He had spent the last hour filling him in on Carri's condition and Kim's disappearance. "Does Tommy even know you're here?"

"No." Rocky admitted, "I wanted to ask you first. This whole idea isn't worth anything if you're not willing."

"You want me to temporarily take your powers." Adam said, half not believing what he'd just heard.

"You're the only one I know that would give them back." Rocky answered truthfully and Adam laughed. It was an insane idea and Tommy would never go for it.

"Come on Adam, I can't let Carri do this by herself. She's all alone and she's in pain. We all know the horror stories Billy came back with."

Adam sighed heavily. Hindsight was always twenty-twenty. They had all thought it strange that Billy didn't want to return from Aquitar, but Billy had always been a bit odd. They had genuinely wished him well. Katherine had even gone so far as to say she was happy that he'd fallen in love. None of them had ever suspected Cestria had orchestrated the whole thing or that Billy was being kept against his will.

"You said the Aquitian Rangers were watching out for her. I'm sure she's fine."

"Adam I have to go… what if it were Tanya?"

"Then I would never have let her go by herself." Adam admitted. "All right. _If_ Tommy agrees to it, I'll fill in until you get back from Aquitar… I can't believe I just said that."

Rocky grinned. "I really appreciate it, you have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"Let's just hope Tonya doesn't strangle me for not talking to her about it first." Tanya was on tour in Alabama. He was supposed to join her in a few days after he wrapped up his production work in New York. He honestly didn't think she'd mind, but he knew he should talk to her about it. Rocky's communicator beeped and they both jumped at the sound.

"That's the signal to re-group at the Command Center." Rocky said. "They must have a plan for rescuing Kim. You ready?"

"Now?" Adam asked incredulously. "You're serious?"

"Well we can't make the transfer mid rescue."

"You've lost it." Adam said, standing up. "Tommy's going to skin you alive if you pull this kind of stunt on him, especially if Kim's in danger. We should take a few seconds and figure this out a little better."

"We'll figure it out at the Command Center." Rocky said, grabbing his arm and transporting them both back to the west coast.

* * *

"Carri?" A voice called softly and Carri woke with a start, all but jumping off the narrow plastic bed. Her eyes focused on the Aquitian woman kneeling in front of her and she relaxed, remembering where she was. 

"I am Delphine. I apologize that I was not able to greet you earlier." The woman said in the strange bubble like voice all Aquitians seemed to have.

"It's all right. Ranger duties come first." Carri said, sitting up and wrapping the cloth more tightly around her. She'd been curled up tight in a fetal position under it, but the damp towel had chilled more than warmed.

"I am no longer a morphing Ranger." Delphine admitted. "But my duties now are no less."

Carri smiled at her warmly and then remembered the greeting Billy had taught her. She placed her fingers in a triangular pattern and repeated the words as accurately as she could. Delphine gave her a smile and warmly returned the greeting. She was taller than the other Aquitian females Carri had seen. She had the same protruding head and large pink and bluish ridges around her eyes, but she also had a long mane of light brown hair that hung silkily down her back. The eyes that regarded Carri softly were kind and Carri was very grateful to see a friendly face.

"You have already undergone you first treatment." Delphine stated. At least, Carri didn't think she asked a question. "How- did- it -go?" Delphine formed the words carefully, with some difficulty, and Carri realized that she was purposely trying to be less formal and use the type of slang she thought would be comforting.

"All right, I guess." Carri said, clutching the sheet a little closer and playing nervously with the edge. Delphine noticed the movements and sensed Carri's uncertainty.

"Are you in pain?" Delphine asked and Carri gave a halfhearted snort. She was perpetually in pain. The scar tissue was overly tight and it had burned uncomfortably since the first treatment. The chill from the water had also settled into her and she felt nauseous. She was miserable, both physically and mentally.

"Everything seems to hurt worse than before," She admitted. At Delphine's puzzled look she said, "The water was frigid. I guess humans are different than Aquitians. I don't like cold water; I can still feel the chill all the way in my bones. I ache and I'm really tired."

"If you are cold, would you… perhaps… find some benefit in clothing?" Delphine suggested diplomatically. All of the Earth humans she had been exposed to appeared to prefer clothing, but she had heard of some that had vowed never to wear it. She didn't know exactly where this human stood on such issues. Aquitians were a prudish race; nudity was unacceptable to them. They took great pains to cover themselves at all times.

"I would if I knew what happened to my clothes." Carri said and Delphine empathically felt a surge of insecurity emanate from the girl.

"What do you mean?" She asked, an uneasy feeling overcoming her. She knew she should not have left Billy's friend alone with Cestria, but the emergency could not have been helped.

The political parties on her planet were in the process of changing hands. Delphine had to make sure her institution weathered that change and retained its funding. She was a former Ranger, which made it easier for her than for others, but the new head of state was not a fan of the research they did here or the politics it stood for.

"I was stripped naked as soon as I arrived and dumped in a clear tank for everyone to gawk at." Carri said indignantly, tears spilling down her cheeks. She didn't care at this point if she looked like an idiot in front of Delphine. She was miserable and needed desperately to confide in someone. "When Cestria took me out of the tank, one of the techs handed me this sheet and then I was sent here. There's no clothing anywhere; I looked."

Delphine stood up slowly and Carri sensed more than saw the anger in her. "This is unacceptable. This is not the appropriate way to treat a distinguished visitor and friend. I apologize Carri, yellow Zeo Ranger."

"Maybe she didn't understand I would be offended." Carri offered lamely. She hadn't meant for Delphine to get angry, she just needed to vent a little.

"We do not believe in public displays of nudity, it is offensive in our culture." Delphine replied. "Cestria acted out of vengeance to her former mate. Not even the worst prisoners are treated so cruelly. I assure you that such an indignity will not be suffered by you again."

Delphine knelt back down so that she was below eye level with Carri. It was a supplicant position and one she hoped the girl would find comforting. She needed to re-assure the girl first and then deal with her own anger later. Clearing her mind, she continued in a firm, but more gentle tone. "I will send someone for your clothing and have you fitted for thermal suits which are appropriate to wear during our cold season. I will also have you examined for hypothermia. I know enough of your race to know you require warm water…as does Cestria. I apologize Yellow Zeo Ranger. Cestria's behavior warrants chastisement. I will see that your needs are better accommodated."

"That's fine." Carri said, shrugging it off. "Reprimanding her will only make her strike out harder next time. For the time being I'm at her mercy. Please don't make a big deal out of it. If she thinks she got the better of me, then she wins. I would prefer it if you said nothing… but I would still appreciate the clothes."

"You are very wise for one so young." Delphine said softly, head bobbing slightly in the jerky movements that the Aquitians made.

"Hey, I'm not exactly a spring chicken." Carri quipped. "I've dealt with more than one vengeful ex." Carri thought briefly of Marie, but that just brought up more thoughts of Rocky, and the tears spilled down her cheeks all over again.

"A...spring…" Delphine's head began to jerk more rapidly and Carri held up her hand.

"I'm not that young. I'm pretty much the same age as Billy." She said.

Delphine seemed to consider this for a moment. "Your species appears to mature faster than our own. Forgive me, I intended no offense."

"None taken." Carri said lightly, thinking to herself that Delphine seemed less than convinced she wasn't a child.

"Do you require nourishment?"

"Am I hungry?" Carri asked. "Yes, but I have to be careful what I eat…my immune system..."

Delphine appeared to nod. "I have been made aware of your requirements." She said simply. Then added, "Billy enjoyed my company when he needed to replenish his caloric intake. Would you like me to return and sit with you?"

"I'd like that very much." Carri said, homesickness returning full force.

"Then continue your rest." She said. " I will arrange for clothing and food to be sent to you and I will return within the hour."

Delphine's head ached painfully, but she remained calm for the sake of Billy's friend. Carri was a female Power Ranger, a revered being on Aquitar. No matter what Cestria's feelings for her former mate, this had been unacceptable behavior. The girl was ill, because of an injury suffered in the defense of her planet no less. It would have been beyond a political nightmare if she had died on her first night here.

The Aquitians worshiped heroes. They held them up as high standards of moral goodness and righteousness. The Rangers were viewed as almost godlike defenders of peace and security in the galaxy. Cestria had stripped an actively morphing Ranger naked and displayed her scarred body publicly; it was horrific. Delphine couldn't be sure, but she was also concerned the cold water might have affected her as well. The girl had leaked water from her eyes; that couldn't be a good sign. Delphine had never seen a human cry before and was seriously concerned for her health. It was not difficult to warm water, Cestria was more than familiar with an Earth human's requirements. By all the Power's goodness, she had a nightmare on her hands if word of her actions ever leaked publicly. The first thing she needed to do was to discover just how many had seen Carri in that tank and swear them to silence.

As soon as she saw to the girl's needs she would physically strangle Cestria. She was certainly angry enough. This facility was already in trouble for the wayward scientist's actions toward Billy a few years before. He had dropped all criminal charges against his ex wife and remained quiet for the sake of the Rangers, but Delphine didn't believe friendship would be enough of a deterrent if Billy found out his friend had been harmed. The fact that he was willing to trust them again with the care of his comrade was a huge coup for Delphine politically. All she needed now was for Cestria to harm another Ranger. It would shame them forever, they would be ruined and their lives and careers worth nothing.

"Thank you Delphine." Carri said earnestly, bringing her attention into the present. She smiled warmly at the girl as the she backed to the door and made a polite gesture of goodbye.

As the door slid shut, Carri laid back down on the bed. So Cestria had already played her first card by striping her naked, she thought bitterly. Well, she wasn't all that surprised. The Aquitians weren't at all what she'd been expecting. They were known throughout the galaxy for being overly polite and docile. Carri was beginning to suspect that they weren't such a meek race after all. She'd have to think long and hard about getting Billy's ex back. How, she wasn't sure. She needed to wait and bide her time.

Once she learned the rules of this game, Cestria was in for a huge surprise. That bitch had chosen the wrong female to pick a fight with.

* * *

"Adam." Billy said in surprise, as Rocky transported them both into the Command Center. "What are you doing here?" 

Tommy turned around and silently asked the same question. At least Adam thought it was Tommy. He turned around and saw Karone, nodded briefly to her, and then spotted the one Rocky had called Thomas. His friend was right, the guy was weird, even for a Tommy.

"Adam's going to be filling in for me." Rocky said, taking off his communicator and handing it, along with his crystal and morpher to Adam.

"Wait." Adam said, pushing them back at Rocky. "I said _if _Tommy agreed. You haven't explained it yet."

"All right." Tommy said in a hard, even tone, coming face to face with Rocky. "Explain." He didn't like using that tone with Rocky. Rocky was his friend and another former red, but his patience was extinguished and he was worried sick over Kim. He didn't have time for this. Rocky backed up a step, but held his ground.

"The whole time we thought Kim was dead, all I could think about was that it could have been Carri. Tommy, I let her go to Aquitar alone. What kind of a man am I? She's alone and she's in pain and the truth is we still don't know if she's going to survive this. She needs me and I need to be there with her. You certainly don't need me here on the team when my heart and my mind aren't with you… I can't focus and I'm a liability to the team."

Tommy closed his eyes and forcibly willed patience. That little speech was obviously well rehearsed. He had an angry retort for his friend about responsibility and a jibe about abandoning a teammate when they were in trouble, but he couldn't make himself form the words. The truth was, he could honestly empathize with Rocky, but he didn't like it. Kim was in serious trouble and this was wasting precious time. He was too tired and worried to care if perhaps Rocky was going through the same thing over Carri. He leveled a cold look on Adam. "Suit up." He said, turning his back on them.

Rocky breathed a huge sigh of relief. He knew he should stay and go after Kim, but he had also been honest with Tommy. He was not mentally focused on the team and that could prove deadly for Kim. He gave Adam a look of relief mixed with uncertainty, but Adam just stared back as if Rocky had completely lost it. This was not a good situation to be coming into and Tommy was obviously not happy.

The other members of the team looked uncomfortable too. Jason gave them both a tolerant look, but he was obviously not pleased either. He tossed the disk he'd been studying on the consol and turned to follow Tommy. Billy shook his head, but said nothing and Karone just shifted uncomfortably and wondered what she'd gotten herself into. Silence ruled the Command Center while Tommy collected his thoughts and rearranged his strategy to suit Adam's strengths instead of Rocky's.

Thomas eyed the situation evenly. This was an odd universe to be caught up in. They let their feelings dictate too much. True, Rocky's love interest was apparently very ill, but there was no way he would have allowed a teammate to back out minutes before a mission.

He wasn't sure what had become of his Rocky. He didn't think he had shifted to the Turbo Powers with the others, but he knew the boy had never been in love. He had seen a Carri version in other universes. He knew she was Katherine's cousin, but in most dimensions she was a mousy little thing. He had only encountered a few variations where she became a Ranger, but in those she was securely paired off with Rocky. He made another mental note of this timeline's differences.

That this Carri had been sent to Aquitar was certainly new, she must have been badly injured. He shook his head mentally, how differently they all developed. It was probably a good thing Carri and Rocky were out of the equation. If Kemora knew there was a Ranger version of Katherine's cousin running around in this dimension, she might change her strategy. It was going to be difficult enough to get K out undamaged. If it was even still possible, he thought ruefully. Kemora never played by the rules, who knew what settings she would use for that force field. If K pissed her off too much, she might already be gone.

"We have time to go over this once." Tommy growled, looking very much like Thomas. "So listen up."

* * *

"Sir…" Kee said softly, coming up behind Elemi's command chair. 

"What is it Kee?" He answered.

"Jason's not responding either."

Elemi swiveled the chair around to face her. "You've tried all frequencies?"

"Yes sir."

Kee watched the play of emotions across Elemi's face. She was no longer afraid of him, as she had been before taking the pink Nova powers, but she was still cautious. Being thrust into a position of second in command had been difficult for her, but it had also been liberating. She was no longer the little mouse everyone ignored. People nodded and saluted her when she walked down the corridors.

She discovered she had a talent for strategy, but Elemi struggled with the tolerance needed for her to develop it. She felt, correctly, that he didn't enjoy the task of training her. Garan had far more patience with her. Her eyes shifted over to where he stood by Elemi's chair and he nodded slightly, filling the silence created by their commander and allowing her to relax a little while she waited for a response.

Elemi was struggling for composure. Something wasn't right. Not only was Kimberly not responding, but Jason had ignored his communication request as well. Teeg was no longer on Earth. Intelligence reports indicated she had recently returned to her armada. What could possibly have happened on Kim's home world? Bile rose in his throat and he struggled to remain calm. Something was definitely wrong.

"Change course." Elemi said suddenly, startling Kee. "We go to Earth."

"Yes sir." Kee said, heart fluttering a little. She turned to the crew, lowering her shoulders and her voice into a firm command in the way Garan had taught her. "Shift hyper drive sequences and prepare to recalibrate jump coordinates."

* * *

"What's going on…" Teeg mused softly. The Enzway had simply stopped and sat dead in space. Scans indicated there was nothing wrong with the ship. Something wasn't right. 

"You have a communication from Earth." Rexo's deep voice rumbled behind her. She turned and regarded him with irritation.

Spines protracted and retracted beneath the surface of his blue skin in disgusting fluid motions. His center, dragon's head, regarded her calmly back while the two bald lions on each of his shoulders growled softly at one another. The three heads were constantly bickering back and forth and fighting for dominance. When the dragon was in charge, Rexo was actually a decent companion, but when it grew tired and the lions took control, he was beyond annoying.

"Not now." Teeg hissed. Elemi would move soon. She could feel it. She wouldn't lose him.

"Your emissary reports that the coins have moved and are now located in the same position on the planet's surface." Rexo's center head rumbled softly.

Teeg hissed and spat, but remained seated in her chair. This was unexpected, to say the least. Kimberly would never be that stupid. Putting two coins on one planet was moronic enough, but to put them together in one place at the same time?"

"He also regrets to inform you that the Ranger known as Kimberly has been terminated."

"What?" Teeg screeched, jumping from her chair and coming to a halt just centimeters from Rexo's center head. She ignored the lion's heads hissing beside her.

"Perhaps I did not hear you correctly." She snarled. Kimberly dead? Impossible. Kimberly was one of the Muirantian twins, demon spawned; they didn't die. The body sometimes did, but the spirit itself lived on. A disembodied Kimberly would make little difference in the short run, but she would not be an easy foe to defeat when it came time to release her master. How in the name of every hell in the universe had those bumbling idiots managed to kill her?

"The Ranger Kimberly has been terminated." Rexo repeated, voice devoid of emotions. It amused him to watch panic spread over Teeg's face. The witch was far too arrogant. It was a pleasure to see her thwarted occasionally.

"My queen, the Enzway has changed course and entered hyperspace once again." The viratron reported, keeping what it hoped was a safe distance from its master.

"Do we have its coordinates?" She hissed. If the fools had lost that ship she'd gut them all. Then she'd make a new crop, beginning with Rita and Zedd.

"Systems indicate they have set a course for Earth."

Teeg's head cocked to one side. Of course, she thought. Elemi must have heard the news that Kimberly was dead and panicked. Rumor had it he was still enthralled by his young lover… he must be crushed, she mused. Her ears lay back in irritation as another idea formulated. With Kimberly gone, no one would be on Earth to protect the coins.

"He's going after those coins." She hissed, her voice low and raspy. A growl rumbled up from her chest and she emitted a loud cat's hiss. It was deep and deadly, like a panther and the viratrons at the controls of the ship shifted nervously. Hers was the much faster ship, she could still outrun him.

"Change course." She rasped. "Get me to Earth before Elemi reaches it or I will turn the lot of you to ash."

* * *

Kemora knew the moment Thomas entered the dimensional cell. "You fool!" She screeched. "You actually showed up." 

Thomas scanned the area briefly, noting K's lifeless form held by the pulsing constrictor bands he'd created for Kemora. He felt a brief surge of despair, but buried it deep. K was not his Kimberly.

He circled Kemora warily. There was no need to measure each other. They had fought for centuries. They knew each other's strengths, their weaknesses, even the pattern of attack one or the other would use.

"It's over Kemora." Thomas growled. "It ends here." He backed her away from where K was restrained. As he suspected, Kemora lost all interest in her the moment he'd appeared. True to his word, he sent the signal to the others. A few seconds later, he attacked; hopefully buying them the time they needed to slip in and steal her away.

Tommy and the others appeared, fully morphed, an instant later and immediately set about deactivating the bands that held Kim. Her beaten body was lifeless on the small table and Tommy's heart sank as he noticed the grayness to her skin and the blue color of her lips and nails. She was supposed to have had a backup power source. Either it had failed or they had seriously underestimated Kemora's capacity for revenge.

As Tommy keyed the last deactivation sequence, Jason grabbed her and lifted her from the table. She was listless, her arms and head hanging limply. He quickly removed his helmet and gloves and placed his hands on each side of her head, just as he'd done the night of the reunion, and allowed red energy to flow freely from him into her. Her eyes fluttered briefly, and he relaxed a bit, but the relief was short lived. He couldn't renew the connection. She could absorb his energy, but the link they shared wouldn't re-activate.

"I don't think so." Kemora howled, when she noticed the Rangers. She sprang on Tommy attacking with a viciousness that surprised him, and tossed him through the air behind Jason and Kim. The others formed a protective barrier and Jason called for Billy to transport them out.

They were seconds from getting her back to the Command Center, but Kemora was one step ahead of them. She laughed the same, hysterical laughter they had heard before as red lightning bolts sprang from her fingertips. The bolts became red clay putties, which attacked almost immediately.

The Rangers re-grouped, Jason shielding Kim with his body. Kemora continued to laugh and generate more putties until the Rangers were forced back, circling Kim and Jason in a last ring of defense. Hundreds of putties filed in around them, taking up any and all usable space to move. The crush was suffocating. All the while Kemora laughed. "Stupid Rangers." She cackled. "I've destroyed you in countless dimensions. Did you honestly believe you had any hope of thwarting me? I know every move, every variation, and every weakness. I've succeeded countless times."

Behind the crush, Tommy saw Thomas's vapid form silently regard them. As far as he could tell, Kemora had forgotten about him. Yet, he appeared to do nothing.

Anger rose up from his gut and Tommy wished with all his might he could strangle his alternate. Just as he was about to curse Thomas aloud, his hand came up, unseen by Kemora. Inside his palm was a clear glass orb. Thomas chanted something and the orb grew bright white. When the light hit her, Kemora arched back, fingers and arms spread wide, as if she'd been hit by a large current of electricity. Her face betrayed her surprise and she howled with indignity. "Nooooo!" She screeched.

As the light encompassed her, it twisted and turned her image in a grotesque caricature of light and sound and the putties evaporated in a cloud of red and black smoke. There was one last surge of energy that appeared to explode from the center of Kemora and mushroom outward. Then the energy retreated back into the globe and after one final pulse of light, the globe darkened.

Thomas said nothing, simply walked forward and caught Kemora's body before it dropped to the ground. It seemed to shrink, growing thinner and more frail. The long hair shortened and streaked with blonde and when her eyes fluttered open they were no longer glowing red with the black diamond slits, but had resumed the soft brown eyes of Kimberly. Thomas knelt down then, gently cradling the girl.

"Where am I?" She whispered softly.

"In an alternate dimension." Thomas answered in a sympathetic tone. The girl hadn't asked to be taken over by Kemora.

"You're not Tommy." She said weakly.

Thomas shook his head no. "I'm merely a reflection of him sweetheart." He said gently. How many Kimberlys had Kemora killed? He honestly didn't know. This one was painfully young. Despite the layers of ice surrounding his heart, Thomas felt for her. Why this girl's death should touch him when so many others hadn't, he didn't know.

"What's going on?" Tommy asked, moving forward and removing his helmet. The girl had heard his voice, but continued to stare up at Thomas. As he approached, he realized that she was very young, perhaps only fifteen or sixteen. The black leather suit was gone and the girl was dressed in the kind of pink tank top and biker shorts Kim would have worn in high school. It was a living reflection of the Kim he had known so long ago. The girl seemed no more than a baby, yet a silver, old-fashioned communicator encircled her wrist.

"Kemora hadn't drained all of her life force yet." Thomas said blankly. "The girl lives, but I don't know for how long."

"And Kemora?" Tommy asked.

"Contained." Thomas growled, but his features softened a bit when he realized he had frightened the girl.

"Can you get her back where she belongs?" Tommy asked.

"I have no idea where to even start." Thomas said, almost helplessly.

"Tommy?" Adam said, hesitant to interrupt him. "We have a problem."

"Kim?" Tommy asked, concern edging his voice.

"Jason still can't make the connection." Adam said. "He's really worried."

"We need to get her back to the Command Center." Tommy said, pushing past Adam and walking over to Kimberly. She looked a bit better. The awful blue color in her lips had softened and she seemed a little less like a limp rag doll.

"That's the other problem." Adam said from behind him.

"Someone's blocking the transporter." Karone said and Tommy turned to face her. "How?" He asked.

"Someone apparently traced our last transport to the point of origin and has sealed it off. Billy can get us out of here, but he can't get us anywhere near NASADA."

"That's not all." Jason said, holding Kim tight and rubbing her arms as if to warm her up and get the circulation going again. "We've got at least five monsters out in the desert approaching the UAOH base where the zords are stored."

"Can Billy get us out there?" Tommy asked.

"Yes, but we'll have to take Kim with us."

"Then we bring her."

"She's really weak." Jason hesitated.

"Do we have a choice?" Tommy asked.

Thomas walked over to them, carrying the younger version of Kim. "This is where I leave you." He said plainly.

"Kimberly needs help." Tommy said, standing up and facing him. " You know how that force field cut off her power source, how do we reconnect it?"

"You don't." Thomas said plainly.

"I don't have time to argue this." Tommy growled shifting his body into a fighting stance.

"Neither do I." Thomas countered, shifting the weight of the girl in his arms. "The girl might have a chance to survive this, K doesn't. I'm sorry Tommy, I honestly am. The phoenix crystal has already activated and will absorb the last of her power. It's too late for K. I'm going to try and help the girl."

"What's the phoenix crystal?" Tommy asked.

"I'm sorry Tommy." Thomas repeated and, turning, vanished in a surge of white light and the buzzing zacada sound.

"Damn him," Jason spat.

"What's the phoenix crystal?" Tommy asked.

"I have no idea." Jason said, frustration edging his words.

"Give her to me." Tommy said. Jason looked like he was going to argue the matter and Tommy shot him a hard look before putting his helmet back on. Jason reluctantly handed her over and replaced his own helmet and gloves.

"All right Billy," Tommy called, the others standing in formation around him. "Take us a safe distance from those monsters."

* * *

Billy sent the group to a site just outside the zord compound where they quickly regained their bearings and spread out. It was up in the hills, very close to where the original Power Chamber had stood. On any other day, Tommy would have enjoyed being up there, but today was very different. He gently laid Kimberly down behind a large grouping of rocks, easing her back against the slope so that her head was elevated. She blinked at the bright sunlight, but showed no other awareness that she knew where she was. "I'll get you back to the Command Center just as soon as Billy gets whatever's interfering with the transport system shut down." He promised. He caressed her hair gently and she surprised him by turning toward his hand. " Can you hear me?" He asked hopefully. 

She looked up at him, a small frown on her face, and smiled softly as his helmet came into focus. If she had managed to say anything, he couldn't hear it, the speakers in his helmet were full of demands from the others to come join the fight. "I promise I'll get you help just as soon as I can." He hugged her gently and rejoined the others.

Kimberly settled back against the rocks. It was too late for help, she realized sadly. Perhaps if Kemora hadn't turned up the power so forcefully she would have had a chance, but she'd known for a while now that it was over. The phoenix crystal had long since activated. It was the last card she had to play against Teeg and the Demonking.

The phoenix crystal would protect her from the field only until the point of no return, when her body was beyond healing. If anything should happen to her, there was no guarantee that her spirit would remain in this dimension. Even if it did, she didn't know if she would have any power to help them. Kim wasn't immortal, but she had been regenerated as demon spawn. Technically, her spirit would be able to live outside her mortal shell, like Kemora, but Kim had renounced Maligore's legacy and devoted her life to good. She simply didn't know what exactly would happen to her spirit; no one did.

The crystal would absorb the remainder of her powers, giving the next user the her ability to teleport and, more importantly, collect the coins and reassemble them back into one of the cosmic keys that had sealed Demonking away. It was her legacy; a last gift to her friends.

She was a little sad that it was actually over, although it had been a good run, she mused. There was no pain anymore, just an overwhelming fatigue. Life had gone by far too quickly, she thought wistfully. She only had a few regrets, but soon those wouldn't matter anymore. The ground vibrated slightly and she smiled, wishing she could join the fight one more time.

* * *

"Sir, scanners indicate a large battle being fought outside the city limits." Kee reported. "We show four morphed Rangers, one of which we've identified as Jason." 

"And Kimberly?" He asked.

"We've detected a faint, unmorphed life sign for her located just outside the battle area."

"She's hurt then?" He asked, a hint of emotion betraying his normally calm voice.

"Unknown sir."

"On screen." He demanded.

Elemi set his jaw in a tight line, one cheek muscle twitching slightly. She was injured, that was the only way she and Jason would both have ignored his call. The main viewer showed a battle out in the desert, not far from the city itself. Four morphed Rangers fighting five monsters and several squadrons of claybots was hardly a fair fight. As he watched, the blue Ranger took a particularly hard blow and de-morphed. As his comrades tried to get near him, the claybot attack intensified and he saw Teeg herself transport to the surface.

"Assemble the Rangers." He ordered, standing up and striding off the bridge area toward the main docking bay. "Initiate pulsar sequences on my mark."

* * *

Adam was down and Tommy couldn't get to him. He had yelled for Billy to transport him out, take him anywhere but the battle sight, but Billy's garbled transmission had come back that all transport systems were down. Everything was jammed. They couldn't get in or out of the Command Center and the zords couldn't break free of the shield around the UAOH base where they were stored. To make matters worse, a small army of viratrons looked to be stringing a massive chain of detonation devices around the entire perimeter of the base. How the hell Teeg had managed to get this much information on them and cripple them this quickly both shocked and infuriated him. 

The monster in front of him looked and smelt like a bad mixture of old sushi and the others were just as bad. Putrid ooze gushed forward from the things and he slipped and slid on the wet sand below his feet. Viratrons and claybots were everywhere and he howled his frustration as he kicked and punched the latest five to block his way.

He hadn't noticed Teeg's approach until a few seconds ago and he was nearly powerless to do anything about it. Jason had also noticed Teeg and was edging diagonally toward her. Tommy calculated his trajectory and altered his method of attack to intersect him. Things just seemed to go from bad to worse. For the first time in a long while, he was seriously concerned about the outcome. Kim wasn't the only one in danger anymore. They all were.

* * *

"Well, what have we here?" Teeg purred as she casually prodded Adam with the toe of her boot. She wasn't concerned with the battle raging around her. Four morphed Rangers were hardly a threat without their zords. She hadn't wanted to play so many of her cards this early, but with Kimberly gone and the coins about to be moved, she was forced to act. "Small little thing aren't you?" 

Adam tried to focus on the woman in front of him, but his eyes wouldn't obey him. Everything was blurred and bloodied and seemed twisted to one side. Why the monsters would go after him with such veracity baffled him. He vaguely thought maybe the woman in front of him had something against Rocky. More likely, she had something against Carri and thought she was going after her boyfriend. Of all times so switch uniform colors, he thought bitterly.

"You haven't killed me." He said with a bit of effort, turning and spitting the blood out of his mouth. "So I assume you want something."

"Perceptive of you." Teeg crooned giving him a crocodile smile.

"What do you want?" Adam asked, hoping he could buy enough time for the others to reach him. His ribs cracked and popped painfully with each breath and his right leg refused to work. He hadn't been beaten up this bad in a long time. That was the downside to being a Ranger, he mused silently, you just never knew when you were going to get the crap kicked out of you. He said a silent prayer that he could pull himself back together before his wife found out and tore him apart herself. If he lived, he was never going to hear the end of it.

Teeg knelt down and grabbed a fist full of his shirt and collar. With one hand, she jerked him painfully into a standing position and held him there. He refused to scream, but the pain in his chest and legs was agonizing. Teeg's physical strength was amazing and he realized that the Zeos had probably seriously underestimated her tactical strength as well. Kimberly had supposedly fought her before, wouldn't she have warned Tommy? Then again, Tommy would have had to listen to her and, from what he'd heard, the two had bickered as much as they'd agreed.

"I want the coin." Teeg purred dangerously and Adam's mind whirled.

"What coin?" He asked honestly confused.

Teeg's ears flattened against her scalp and the pupils in her yellow eyes narrowed to dangerously tiny slits. Adam both felt and heard the growl that boiled from her chest as she threw him a good twenty feet down the desert hill. He came to rough stop, arms and legs flailing in contorted positions. He thought briefly of Tanya and how he was going to explain this to her before world went completely blank.

* * *

Jason didn't like the way things were going. He had seen Tommy switch gears and head in his direction, but he's also seen Teeg pick Adam up and toss him over the edge of the ridge. He hoped fervently that edge was simple a rolling hill and not a sharp drop. A few seconds later he breathed a short sigh of relief to see her glide downward in Adam's direction and assumed she'd simply rolled him and not killed him outright. He tried to get a good look at Tommy to see if he'd seen it too, but the crush of claybots was too great. 

Claybots had to be taken out in a series of three motions. This was fairly easy if you worked in pairs, nearly impossible on your own. The crush was just to great, he couldn't maneuver fast enough to keep the things from regenerating. It was then that he heard the rumble of engines and looked up to see six multi colored craft heading toward them at high speed.

It was obvious that they were Rangers, but which group eluded him. There were several out there now. It wasn't like the old days where it was just them against the forces of evil. They'd gotten Tommy's attention too and in-between kicks and punches Jason could see him try and identify the newcomers.

To his astonishment, the six aircraft morphed fluidly just seconds from the scene and Jason could clearly identify six armored Rangers. For an instant, they looked like toy soldiers before fluidly morphing again to form ground vehicles not all too dissimilar from the three-wheeler's they'd ridden as kids. As they hit the ground, each Ranger's body lifted into place from below and grabbed the handlebars.

Under other circumstances, he might say that was one of the coolest morphs he'd ever seen. Each Ranger was apparently his own zord and fully capable of transitioning between air, soldier, and ground modes. There was no churning or cranking of gears. The transformation was smooth and fluid and the metal simply melted and shifted from one form to the other.

The six ground vehicles took the monsters head on and explosions and acrid smoke filled the air. Energy renewed, Jason tore into the crowd of claybots around him. Thank God for the cavalry he thought. They might actually have a chance of pulling this one off now.

* * *

Billy pounded against the consol in frustration. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the circuitry; it just didn't work. He'd modified, he'd circumvented, he'd jury-rigged, and absolutely nothing worked. At the sound of footsteps running through the back room, he sprang up and grabbed a hand weapon. There had been no intruder alert, but at this point he refused to be surprised by that fact. 

He relaxed a little as Kat Manx, followed closely by Trini rushed through the archway into the main control room, both carrying large cases and packs.

"How did you two get in here?" He asked half astonished and half annoyed. He'd sent Trini back to the lab early this morning with distinct orders to stay away until he called her and those cases looked far too heavy for someone in her condition to be carrying.

"There's an emergency hatch." Manx said, handing him one of the cases.

"I'm aware of that." He said with an edge in his voice. "I wasn't aware you were."

"I asked for her help." Trini interjected. "She's worked with the Rangers before and, more importantly, she's seen this kind of shield before."

Billy turned back to Manx, "You know what it is?"

"It's called a Retts Webbing." She said, opening her case and taking out several pieces of equipment. "It was used on my home world to quickly take out our defense and communications systems. It's almost impossible to deactivate from the ground, but it can be destabilized. It operates on a fairly narrow band arc, once you weaken a series of conductors and terminals the whole thing overloads." She paused and grinned at him wickedly. "And if you do it in the right order, it'll snap around and rebound on its source; effectively netting whoever's done this in their own trap."

"That's the best news I've heard all day." Billy said gratefully.

"We brought as much of the equipment as we could carry, but we still have to assemble it and get it into position on foot." Trini added. "Dr. Manx has already contacted Carter at Lightspeed and he's got a few others ready to get her devices into position on the outside perimeter of the web, but we still have to get this stuff ready on the inside or it'll never work.

Billy shook his head and pushed Trini gently down in a chair. "You aren't going anywhere." He said firmly.

"Billy there's too much for three people to do let alone two." She protested.

"You may be a Ranger," Billy argued, "But that baby isn't." He punched a few buttons on the control board and the Ranger's fight against the monsters snapped into view on the main screen. "You can't take her into that." He said firmly.

"Who's the other team?" Manx asked and Billy's head snapped around. The view screen had only been off for a few seconds while he recalibrated the board again.

"I have no idea." He said, baffled, "How did they get through the web?"

"It's an old system." Manx offered. "They must have the technology to circumvent it. Whoever they are, it looks like the tide's turning."

"I'm needed." Trini said firmly, standing up and meeting Billy's eyes with determination. "You two can't do this by yourselves."

"We'll assign her the easiest spots which are furthest from the fray." Manx said, snapping two pieces together and digging through the other cases for more parts.

"Two against one." Trini said firmly.

* * *

Teeg approached Adam at a casual pace. The others were still well occupied. Behind her Sirius slipped and slid down the embankment. She didn't think the human was dead, but she really didn't care one way or another. She produced a small box and methodically scanned his body up and down, narrowing in on his hip area. She located a buttoned pocket on the side of his pants leg and ripped it open. 

Inside was an ancient looking morpher and held within the center was a gold power coin. Teeg dislodged the coin and tossed the morpher away as if it were nothing. She held the coin up briefly to see the markings before sliding it inside the box, eyes growing wide with triumph as the readings confirmed it to be one of Zordon's power coins.

"Fool." She spat, roughly kicking Adam over. "Kimberly chose a poor guardian for such a precious treasure."

She turned to Sirius and noticed he was staring up the hill at a new group of Rangers who had joined the battle. She cursed, recognizing the Nova's and transported them both back to the Lunar Palace. There would be time to collect the coin Jason carried later.

* * *

With the addition of the Nova Rangers, the battle turned and one by one the monsters exploded in a disgusting rain of slime and tissue, but the claybots and viratrons refused to retreat as they normally did. The Zeos still had their hands full and Tommy hadn't had much time to watch the new comers or get a good feel for the way they fought. 

Within seconds of the last explosion, all five monster grew to city wrecking size. The Nova's didn't miss a beat, fluidly transforming back to soldier mode, then shooting upward in formation where the six armored Rangers combined into a megazord; growing just as tall as the monsters. Tommy was impressed, there was no modularization, no cranking of gears, fitting of slot A into slot B. The armor of the six simply melted into the others, forming one giant version of the smaller armored Rangers. In the center of the megazord was a spiral symbol Tommy recognized from Kim's descriptions; this was definitely the Nova team. How they knew they were needed on Earth, Tommy didn't know, but he was grateful for their help.

"Billy, we need those zords released." Tommy called. Why the whole base hadn't blown up by now, he didn't know, but he didn't want to push his luck for very long.

"Working on it." Billy panted. He sounded seriously out of breath and Tommy wondered briefly what he was up to. "We should have web release in about three minutes."

"We need it in one." Jason called back. The claybots were fierce and not giving any ground. The last little adrenaline surge he'd felt at the Nova's entrance was fading fast. All the Rangers were tiring, but for now the monsters seemed more interested in the Nova's megazord and the claybots at least were thinning.

* * *

Billy allowed the sweat to drip off his face unheeded as he snapped the last of the conduit into place and secured the circuit board. 

"That's it." He called, hastily retreating down the steep slope and ignoring the tearing of his shirt against the rocks.

"Engage sequencing timers." Carter's voice called through their headsets. As various Rangers from the Assembly called in, he was impressed with how quickly they had all managed to drop their assignments and come running. It had taken less than half an hour to get everyone in position. This was a serious fight, but it was Angel Grove's security in question, not the planet's. The reds ability to pull together so quickly boded well for the day they might have to extend operations to a planetary or even galactic operation.

"Sequences initiated." Manx called as Billy ran towards her and Trini.

"Let's hope this works." Trini said. Her face and clothing were covered in the brown dust of the desert and her loose hair blew wildly in the wind.

"Are you all right?" Billy asked, coming along side her. He placed one arm around her tightly, the hand of his other extended protectively over her stomach."

Trini covered the hand over her belly with her own, fingers interlocking with his, and gave him an amused smile. "_We_ haven't felt this good in weeks." She assured him.

They listened as one by one their friends confirmed the firing of the magnetic conductors. There was a large explosion from the area Billy had just retreated from and he was glad he'd moved quickly away.

"That's it!" Manx exclaimed. "Readings indicate we've successfully re-routed the webbing. We should achieve the snapback in five…four…three." Static electricity crackled around them and their hair drifted upward. "…two…one." Manx called.

There was nothing for a long moment and Trini looked up at Billy uncertainly. Then a series of loud sonic booms rolled past them and the ground shook with the force of a mild Earthquake.

"Mission accomplished." Manx called into the headphones. "Scanner's show the Lunar Palace and a good portion of the moon's surface and orbit area completely incased in the webbing."

Carter confirmed the success and gave the signal for the others to return home. "Time for the Zeos to go do their job." He said wryly, hoping Tommy could hear the friendly jibe.

"Tommy," Billy called. "The UAOH base is clear, so is the Command Center."

"Lock on to Kim and Adam's signals and get them out of here." He answered back. "Think you can get two out of five zords docked by remote?"

"We'll manage." Billy answered, grabbing Trini's hand firmly and transporting back to the Command Center.

"Let's try and even the odds for the Nova's guys." Tommy called. "We need Zeo Megazord power…"

* * *

"You're fortunate this day has proven so productive and that I am in a forgiving mood." Teeg hissed. She had not been at all pleased to be trapped in the Lunar Palace with Zedd and Rita, but the webbing had finally been disabled and she was now free to return to her ship. Zedd had been obnoxious in his apologies over Kimberly, but Teeg could honestly care less at this point. 

She had one, if not both coins and she knew that Jason had possession of the other. She seriously doubted that he would let go of it now that Kimberly was lost to him and she knew where to find him when the time came. She fully expected him to take up the search himself out of some twisted sense of duty or honor of her memory. "I will leave you to do as you wish to the planet." She said casually.

"My queen," Rita demurred as she pushed in front of Zedd, ignoring his warning to be still. "I have present for you." She said glibly. "Consider it a farewell gift from a loyal servant." She sauntered forward and held out a clear glass ball in her palm.

Teeg regarded the ball dubiously. Rita had no love for her and, except for the fact that she needed Rita's staff to turn the coins evil, she was ready to wash her hands of the witch. She could see billowing clouds of red and black smoke within the glass and realized with a twinge of excitement that it was a containment orb. Only the most seriously depraved and evilest of creatures were sentenced so cruelly. Her own master had been sentenced to one once.

"You have my attention." Teeg said easily, calming her motions and betraying no hint of desire for the object. "Explain."

"It's a containment orb." Rita said.

"Obviously." Teeg purred, head tilting downward slowly.

"It contains an evil version of Kimberly." Rita added, eyebrows popping up and head nodding as if asking for acknowledgement that she'd done well. She knew the kitty wanted it, the question was how bad. Rita wasn't as stupid as she played. There was no way she could control Kemora, but Teeg might be able to get some use out of her and handing her over might just build a little good will where none currently existed.

Teeg glided forward, interest in the orb overcoming the desire to remain outwardly neutral. "Explain just how this evil Kimberly came into your possession." She said silkily. An evil version of Kimberly? Well why not? Kimberly had been artificially created. For every action there was an equal and opposite reaction, that was the law of good and evil; the balance must be maintained. It only stood to reason an opposite would have to exist in tandem somewhere.

"She came to me and asked to use one of my evil dimensions, what do I care right? So before she can set up shop, this old guy barges in and sucks her into the orb, just her spirit, the body dropped like a little fly. That means this little demon can possess things... Apparently the old guy was more interested in the body she left behind than in the orb, 'cause he took off and didn't even noticed I'd lifted it off him."

"And just what were you doing there?" Teeg purred, openly measuring Rita. She'd underestimated her. Only the dimensional guardians used such weapons against the forces of evil. One rarely encountered them, they moved in shadows. This evil Kimberly must have seriously upset the balance to draw their attention.

"Trying to figure out why someone who looked so much like Kimberly was trying to kill the Rangers." Rita said sweetly… a little too sweetly. Teeg didn't believe her for a second.

"And now you want to give this gift to me?" Teeg asked lazily.

"Consider it a token of goodwill." Rita drolled. "Better to hand her over to you and get on your good side than be stupid enough to try and use her myself."

Teeg laughed. She hadn't sincerely laughed in years. Rita was too much. It had been an honest answer, something Teeg was growing unfamiliar with. The witch continued to hold the orb up with her palm and Teeg reached out and took it from her. Rita then turned back to Zedd and gave him a smug look. She may not have been able to produce a coin, but an evil version of Kimberly would have to count for something; especially since the good version was apparently dead.

"How positively fascinating." Teeg commented as the disembodied Kemora pounded against the glass orb in her hand. "An evil Kimberly."

"Let me out!" Kemora screeched, pounding against the inside or the glass orb. This was worse than death. She would have preferred death to encasement inside the orb. Red and black smoke billowed around her and she squinted to see through the haze.

"All in good time." Teeg purred, allowing herself the luxury of a smile. "Perhaps I have a job for you."

"I work for no one!" Kemora hissed.

"We shall see." Teeg demurred evilly, tossing the orb up casually and catching it again in her hand. "We shall see."

* * *

Kimberly wasn't sure how she'd gotten wherever she was, but she could see Billy's face clear enough through the haze. It was very dark and she was very cold. She wasn't sure at all what was going on. She remembered seeing Zeo five's helmet and the warm sunshine. There was nothing warm here. She was frigidly cold and so very tired… 

"Kimberly stay with me." Billy said as if very far away. How very odd she thought. Why in the name of the

Great Power would she want to stay here? She was exhausted and sleep sounded like such a wonderful idea…


	9. Chapter 9: The Circle of Life

**The Coins**

**Chapter 9: The Circle of Life**

* * *

Kimberly has been cut off from her Muirantian powers and Tommy is desperate to help her before she dies. To save her, he must come face to face with the one enemy he has never forgiven and still harbors an undying hatred for. Does he still love her enough to swallow his pride and beg for help?

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

**_All events in The Coins take place in an alternate dimension_**

* * *

_Sooner or later we all understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in movies. We know that love is here and now, real and true, and the most important thing in our lives. Love is the creator of our favorite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is the promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, and a seed that can flourish in the most unlikely places. And this radiance never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all._

_One known only to those who love._

_(A wedding Reading)_

* * *

As soon as the last monster was destroyed, Tommy ignored Elemi's radio request for the teams to meet and transported himself directly back to the Command Center. Adam was in one medical bed and he glanced at it long enough to read his stable life signs before transferring his gaze to the other bed. Billy and Trini were both with her and alarms and warning lights flashed and chimed out of sync. 

"How is she?" He asked, his heart sinking as he watched Kim's lifeless from taken over by the computer.

"Not good." Billy said under his breath as he adjusted a few settings.

"What can I do?" Jason asked, coming up from behind.

"She's in complete system failure." Billy said calmly. "I'm not sure there's anything that can be done."

Tommy turned slightly and looked at Jason. He had stopped short and seemed to be physically reeling. Tommy wasn't sure he felt much different. Jason stepped around him and gently pushed Trini away from Kim's side. He leaned against the side of the table and placed a hand on either side of her face. His eyes shifted to a red glow and energy transferred once again from one to the other. Alarms sounded and Billy shut them down as Kim's vital signs began to stable. Her eyes fluttered open and Tommy exhaled the breath he'd been holding. He moved to the side opposite Jason and placed a hand on her leg.

"Kim?" Jason asked, hands still cradling her face. "Can you hear me sweetheart?"

Kim's head turned toward the sound of his voice and she smiled slightly. Jason reached down and grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his heart.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, thinking to himself that was one of the dumbest things he'd ever heard himself say, but there was nothing else he could think of to articulate. He was at a loss as to what to do.

"Cold." She whispered, her voice hoarse and raspy. "Tired." She couldn't really see him, just his shadow, but she knew he was there. Where exactly that was, she didn't know. She'd been outside, then it had gotten dark and cold. She frowned, Zeo five had been there, but now Jason was, it was confusing. There had been a battle, she remembered a battle, but now everything hurt like hell. "Where's Tommy?" she asked softly.

Tommy's heart leapt when she asked for him. He sat down on the opposite side of the bed and grabbed her other hand. "I'm right here Beautiful." He said, surprised at the choking sound of his voice. Her head turned toward him and she blinked, but it was obvious she couldn't see either of them. Her soft brown eyes were clouded over and stared blankly at the dim shapes around her.

Jason took a deep breath and transferred a bit more energy into her. He really couldn't spare it, but at least his body would regenerate. She moaned and twisted away from him as the energy stimulated her nervous system.

"Stop…it hurts." She moaned.

Jason looked up helplessly at Tommy. He didn't know what more he could do.

"What happened?" She asked, eyes a bit brighter and staring hard at Tommy's shape.

"Kimora captured you." He said gently.

"I remember." She answered.

Tommy explained how Kimora had taken her, Thomas's arrival and the plan to get her back. He told her how Thomas had captured Kimora inside the orb, but he could barely contain his anger as he explained that Thomas had refused to help them find a way to reconnect her to Muirantias, choosing instead to help the younger version of Kimberly.

"He was right." Kimberly said softly. She looked at Tommy, but squeezed Jason's hand for emphasis too. "Kimora couldn't contain her rage. The Phoenix crystal activated shortly after she strapped me in. I've known for a while it was too late for a rescue."

"What the hell is the Phoenix crystal?" Jason asked bitterly. She was talking as if she accepted death as a viable option. They weren't done trying to save her; they were just getting started.

Kimberly turned and regarded Jason's dim outline. "It's a wild card." She said, grinning slightly. She turned her hand over in his so that it was palm up. Closing her eyes, and with obvious effort, a small, dime sized red crystal formed in her hand. She smiled brightly as she turned her hand over and deposited the stone in his hand. "It holds the last of my powers." She explained. "The ability to teleport, and more importantly the ability to release the coins from their containment. When the time comes…" She stopped and seemed to gasp for breath as a wave of pain shot through her. Both Jason and Tommy held her hands more firmly until the seizure passed and she relaxed a little. "When the time comes," She continued in a much weaker voice, "The user will be able to combine the coins back into one of the six cosmic keys that locked Demonking away." She laid quietly for a few minutes and the four people in the room simply looked at one another helplessly.

"Is there any way to use that crystal to reconnect her to Muirantias?" Tommy suggested.

"No." Kim answered him, although she didn't open her eyes. "It's a last resort; permanent."

"There has to be an answer." Tommy said to no one in particular. Kim smiled at him and made an effort to open her eyes."

"No love," She said softly and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces at the endearment. "The field was designed to kill. It did its job."

"I swear I'll destroy Thomas for this." He growled bitterly, ignoring the tears welling in eyes.

"No!" Kim nearly shouted, trying to raise herself up. It startled the two men holding her hands and they collided into one another in an effort to keep her from falling off the bed. "No." She said again firmly, shaking with the effort to try and reach him. "You can't let yourself become like him. Death is a part of life. You can't become bitter or obsessed with it. Remember what Zordon told us. Life is to be lived for what it is, not to be wasted in grief, animosity, or anger." Her head fell back against the bed and she began to shake. "Promise me." She said, trying with all her strength to squeeze the hands holding hers.

Tommy swallowed hard, but didn't answer. He couldn't answer. His throat completely constricted. It had never dawned on him that there would be a day without her in it. All the years they had spent apart, at least he had known she was there, somewhere. What was happening now was incomprehensible. It was a thousand times more painful than her letter from Florida had been. He was going to lose her all over again, permanently…and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I need your help Tommy." She whispered eyes fluttering open in the direction she hoped he was in. The power surge from Jason was fading and she was quickly becoming disoriented again.

"Anything Beautiful." He managed to croak.

"Can you get me to the fish tank in the Command Center?" She asked.

He frowned, looking over his shoulder at the tank that stood just a few feet away and then met Jason's eyes as they both realized she didn't know where she was. He stood up slowly and pushed the medical panels away from her. They beeped and whined, but he ignored them. Carefully, he picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the tank, hugging her to him as if he could somehow give her part of his own life force to keep on living. As he stopped in front of the tank, he shifted her small weight in his arms, balancing her so that he could place one hand against the glass.

"Below the glass." She said, head pressed against his shoulder. "On the right hand side, there's a red mark."

Tommy frowned and backed away from the tank. On the right hand side of the ornately carved wooden stand was a small red piece of inlay. It was part of the design, and barely visible, but it was the only piece of red on that side of the stand. He put his fingers against it, but nothing happened. Shifting her again in his arms, he leaned down and slid her fingers across it. On the second try, a small, thin drawer popped opened and he removed the black box inside.

He had seen many of these boxes before. They were security boxes. Hollow rectangular forms with no seems that would only open for specific people.

"Did you find it?" She asked softly.

"Yes." He answered, placing the box against her chest and carrying her back to the medical table.

"It's coded to your energy signature as well as Jason's." She said without opening her eyes as he laid her back down. "Open it, you need to know what's inside."

He did as he was instructed and opened the box to find two metallic data tubes. They looked a good deal like thumb drives and were used for basically the same purpose, but these were high security devices. You couldn't just plug them into a computer and read the data. It took a special reader and you had to know the codes or they'd self destruct.

"Do you see the green one?" Kim asked softly, as if she was falling asleep. Tommy looked down and found the color tube she'd indicated and nodded, then remembered she couldn't see him.

"I've got it." He said hoarsely.

"The code is my birthday, you both know it. The silver tube explains my life as a Ranger up until Muirantias, the green one contains everything I know about the Demonking, Thomas, and so much more that you probably never wanted to know about me." She chuckled softly. "I never was good at creating histories that weren't ninety percent personal diaries."

She smiled wryly and a tear slid softly down her face. "It's yours now, you're going to need it." Her mouth twisted into another smile and her eyes opened. "If I had known this was going to happen, I might have erased the personal stuff though." She coughed, and he wasn't sure if she was laughing or choking. After a moment, she settled back and closed her eyes with a sigh. Tommy and Jason both lunged forward, but relaxed when they realized she was still breathing steadily.

"She's dosing." Billy said, coming around and replacing the medical panel Tommy had removed.

"Can't you give her more of your energy until we figure this out?" Tommy asked, turning to Jason.

"It's hurting her." He replied, unsure what to do. "I can keep her alive but…" He didn't want to see her die any more than Tommy did, but she was in pain. He wasn't sure what to do.

"All the energy is doing is making her more alert." Billy said more calmly than he felt. "Her body's still shutting down. You're just prolonging it and making her aware that she's in pain."

Billy clenched his jaw at the fight he fully expected to come. Tommy wasn't handling this well and Kim was still clinging to life. Maybe it had been a good thing that Jason had revived her somewhat, she had been responsive enough to pass on the crystal and to explain its uses; she'd even been able to get an important data tube to Tommy. But enough was enough.

They needed to let her go now, before the process became torturous. Dying was not an easy progression; to be aware of the process while it was happening was cruel. He stole a quick look at Tommy's face and considered calling in a few more of the reds to help him. Jason was a just as grief stricken and he doubted he would be much help when the time came. The question was who to call.

"Tommy?" Trini asked softly, coming up from behind him. He whirled around and she backed up a step. She'd never seen him this distraught before; it was unsettling. Tommy was always the calm leader. Even in his deadly mode, as Kim called it, she could still see the composed commander in him. But right now his eyes were wild; he was panicked and wasn't even trying to shield it from anyone.

"What?" He asked her roughly.

"Elemi, the red Nova Ranger is demanding to speak with the red Zeo Ranger."

"I'm busy." He snarled.

"He's demanding to see Kimberly." Trini said helplessly.

"Tell him to go to hell." Tommy barked.

* * *

Carri sat glumly behind the small table and pushed the offered food around in its dish. Delphine had sat with her last night, but this morning she was on her own. Cestro had been re-assigned to stand guard and act as her emissary while she was undergoing treatment, but he had retreated to meet his own needs while she broke her fast and waited for the next dunking, as she'd started calling it. 

She was scheduled to receive three to six treatments a day, retreating back to her little room for an hour or two before being shuttled off to the next treatment. She was exhausted and time disoriented. Sleeping in the tanks had been encouraged, but there was so much pain involved in the process, it was nearly impossible.

She had no idea how long she'd been on Aquitar, but she'd only had five treatments so it couldn't have been very long. The weeks of treatment that lay ahead stretched impossibly before her. She didn't know how she was going to keep it up. There had been no word from home, which disappointed her, but she really hadn't been on Aquitar that long and her friends might just be waiting until she settled in.

The food before her was not in the least bit appetizing, although Cestro assured her Billy quite enjoyed it when he lived here. There were several small yet brightly colored gelatinous masses and a few cooked mounds of plants; all of which induced a gag reflex.

Carri knew the Aquitians used and needed the pure water of the planet to sustain their life force, but she also noticed they ate the local plant life as well. The concept of salting food was apparently beyond them though.

The buzzer sounded to indicate someone was outside her door, but she ignored it. She was too preoccupied with her own self-pity to be bothered with company. Whoever it was would either enter of their own volition and take her to another tank dunking or they'd go away. The buzzer sounded again and she rolled her eyes. Dropping the eating utensil on the table, she pushed herself up and drug herself to the door. The buzzer sounded again just as she hit the release latch and the door slid open.

What she saw on the other side stunned her and she wondered briefly if she was hallucinating; she knew it could be a side effect of her treatments. Rocky beamed at her when the door opened and before she could say anything, he dropped his backpack and threw his arms around her.

"Oh my God." She whispered as she realized the man before her was actually real. She grabbed hold of him, melting into his arms, and burst into tears. "Oh my God." She repeated, clinging to him.

Rocky wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it hadn't been tears. His embrace tightened as he tried with all his might to fill the void that had encompassed him in just twenty-four hours away from her. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply. She smelled different, devoid of perfumes and soaps, but it was her and she was with him again, and he couldn't get enough of it. He breathed in deeply one more time before pulling away just enough to claim her lips with his. She returned the kiss eagerly and only parted when several Aquitians in the corridor actually stopped and stared at the two humans interlocked with one another.

She pulled him forcefully through the door and he leaned back from her just long enough to pick up his backpack and find the door controls.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, still shocked that he was actually right in front of her.

"I couldn't let you do this alone." He said, moving forward and wrapping his arms around her again. He leaned forward again to kiss her and then stopped, staring at her face.

"What?" She asked self-consciously.

Rocky stepped back and brought one finger to her chin, gently pushing her face from the right to the left. Gone were the angry purple scars and swelling. Her face was perfectly smooth. Not even a freckle marred its surface. "Wow." He said simply.

"Yeah." She said shyly, "Cestria might be the biggest bitch in the known universe, but she's a damn good at what she does."

"How?" Rocky breathed, fingers gently tracing her nose and cheeks. "It's barely been twenty-four hours."

"It's a kind of skin graft." She answered, pulling back and unfastening the high collar of the gray uniform she was wearing. Beneath the fabric line were the splotchy purple scars, but they were far less angry looking and grayer rather than purple. "They just finished it, so it's a bit sore still, but you can see the line where she stopped."

Rocky's finger traced the thin contour where the new tissue stopped and the old skin began and she shivered despite herself. "It's amazing," He marveled.

"The first dunk when I arrived was to soften and start peeling off the top layers of skin as well as start the healing from the inside out. It's only really the epidermis that's affected. It could be worse. She's removing it in small sections so I don't go into shock…although I do honestly think she gets off on slow torture sessions." She gave him a sardonic look and he grinned at her. "There are specialty tanks that I have to sit in to control the pain while they remove the skin down to the muscle and then I have to float in a different tank to allow the new skin to stabilize and reattach. There should only be a few thin scar lines when she's done."

"Is it very painful?" He asked, frowning. It was beautiful work, but the process sounded barbaric.

She laughed softly, but somewhat hysterically and his arms tightened around her. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed into him.

"I can't believe you're here." She whispered. "Wait!" she said, pulling back from him. "If you're here, who's with the Zeos?"

"Adam agreed to fill in for me for a few weeks." He said sheepishly. "I couldn't take it Carri. I was going crazy with you here all alone."

"You're insane." She scolded, wrapping her arms around his neck again, "But I'm really glad you're here."

* * *

Elemi was beyond furious. They had abandoned their mission, raced to Earth, and saved the Zeo team from destruction, only to be ignored. The woman on the other end of the communications system had been very apologetic, but the red Zeo refused to speak with him. There was an emergency and he couldn't talk with him. Elemi knew exactly who Zeo five was, even though they had never met. It was _him_. The one she had never let go of. She had admitted he was leading this team. The boy didn't deserve her loyalty; didn't deserve her. It had infuriated him to think she'd gone back to him once again, but what was he to do? 

Elemi wasn't a young man, but he wasn't old either. Rheigans were a long-lived race of humans and he was just now reaching his prime, but he much older than she was.

He was a veteran career Ranger, a man who had held more than one morpher. A man who had seen many, many battles and conquered many demons. He was used to his power and used to others bowing to it. His dark brown eyes were sharp and intelligent and very, very cold with the anger he was trying hard to conceal. Kimberly had softened him dramatically over the past few years, but he was still a product of his culture and old habits died hard.

Rheigans were an aggressive and warlike society that had somehow managed to civilize themselves; barely. When they weren't fighting someone else, they would fight each other. More Rheigans died from poison alone than by all other forms of death combined. Scholars had wondered for centuries how'd they'd managed to even procreate before the invention of artificial birthing tanks.

The planet Rheiga itself was uninhabitable. It was as hostile and uninviting as the population of humans it spawned. However it supported twelve moons, all of which were conducive to supporting human life. Each moon was divided into matriarchal and patriarchal societies and had its own government which consisted of principalities and an emperor or emperess. The Grand Emperor was elected for life and oversaw the ruling class.

Elemi's father was a highborn noble. He was a younger son of the Grand Emperor and himself the elected prince of his province. His mother was an emperess in her own right and had contracted with his father to produce the next generation. In short, she would produce a male heir for him and she, in turn would take all females.

Elemi was his mother's fourth child. Having produced three females before him, she was glad to done with her contract. He had been whisked away and had never known her. He never expected to know her. He had other brothers and sisters from his father's mistresses, but he was the son of a contracted marriage with a highborn female, and thus the heir. He was raised in a nursery until the age of three and then shipped off to the Ranger Academy to learn strategy, intergalactic politics, and the fighting skills necessary to survive in his culture. He knew his father by appointment and he knew his duty to advance his family politically.

The only surprise in his life occurred when he was given his first morpher. As a red power Ranger he was an awesome fighter. He was Rheigan and he was expected to fight as a Rheigan, to command as a Rheigan. He was hard, demanding, ruthless, and very successful.

His prowess pleased his father. The success of his son boded well for his own succession, securing a clean transition when his own father passed from this dimension.

This was Elemi's life. He was one hundred and twenty seven years old. As the average Rheigan lived just under three hundred years, if they survived that long, he was not quite half way through his natural life. He had contracted with two different spouses and produced four sons, of which only Garan, the Nova's green Ranger, knew him anymore than his own father had known him. He also had a daughter by an Eltaran female, but he didn't even know the child's name.

By the time Kimberly had walked into his life, his course was set. His father would soon succeed his dying grandfather as Grand Emperor and with any luck he would live to one day succeed his father. The circle of life was completing itself. Kimberly had seen him as a path to information and he had seen her as an opportunity to secure his future.

Kimberly was Zordon's own Ranger. Not a descendant of the line, but a Ranger trained by the master himself. More importantly, Zordon had recognized five heirs before his death and she was one of them. A recognized child was not always biologically related, but in the intergalactic communities, recognition held more power than bloodline. Genetic relationships happened, but acknowledgment was the choice of the parent. It was a high honor for the girl to be named as part of Zordon's household and it exploded her worth in the intergalactic community.

Like it or not, she was also the confirmed spawn of Maligore. Zordon's own histories attested to it. Maligore was the twin of Dark Specter and Dark Specter was, although admittedly evil, one of the few beings that had successfully claimed absolute and undisputed rule over the twelve moons of Rheiga, wielding more power than the Grand Emperor himself. Most importantly, Kimberly was breeding female; a trait practically bred out of Rheigan females due to over use of the artificial birthing tanks and prized as highly valuable. She was, quite simply, too good to be true. A marriage contract with her, or better a son with her, would assure him an easy succession to Grand Emperor, possibly even over his own father.

Kimberly, had no intentions of entering into a contract with him, but she badly needed information that only he had. She had been intrigued by his culture, even though it baffled her, but had flatly refused to entertain the idea. She had walked out on him, but had been forced to return shortly after. The information he had was critical and she was forced to deal with him.

At that point in her life, she had been no match for him strategically. She knew little to nothing of intergalactic laws and policies and was an easy provincial target. He had quickly and fairly easily altered the agreement to exchange the information she needed, if not for marriage, then in return for sex. Kimberly had been insulted and downright repulsed, but she was also desperate and in a time bind. She needed his information.

She had wrestled with the idea until the last hour possible. She was not a virgin, but she was also not as experienced as some women her age. In the end, believing she was certainly not the only woman in history forced into that particular situation and believing no one from her own world would ever possibly find out, she had at last, reluctantly agreed.

But galactic law was not so simple. Information had value and anything of value exchanged for a mutually agreed coupling between peers of the realm, was the equivalent to the fulfillment of a marriage contract. He had tricked her, but she had been willing and the bride price had been paid. Thus, she was his.

If marriage to Kimberly had been a relatively simple affair, holding on to her was not. If she had done nothing, he might have been content to let her go. He had no more need of wives or heirs, he needed only the connection to her, the bragging rights, which gave him a status that far exceeded even his own father. But Kimberly felt, rightly, that she had been taken advantage of. Her hackles had been raised and she fought back.

To his surprise, she was actually a worthy opponent. For a female Ranger from a non-rated fourth class world, she was surprisingly well connected. Earth was not a member of the federation, but both Aquitar and Triforia considered it under their protection. Her Muirantian twin brother was a recognized heir of Zordon and also held a legitimate claim to a recognized brotherhood bond with the Emperor of Triforia. Her former teammate, also recognized heir of Zordon, was very powerfully connected on Aquitar.

Within weeks, a delegation from Aquitar and the Emperor of Triforia himself were crying foul on behalf of _Zordon's daughter_. That the female in question was Zordon's recognized heir, or recognized daughter, had brought more than one Ranger Academy into the debate; academies with whom he owed an allegiance as a red Ranger. What he had done, was done all the time. It was just never, ever, done publicly. The resulting scandal was mind boggling and soon reached intergalactic proportions, with him as the butt of the joke.

He was furious and left his life and career on hold to track her down and find her. His plan had been to drag her back to Rheiga 4 by the roots of her hair, but once again, Kimberly was not so easily done in. He had no sooner mortified her by introducing himself to her mother, than she took off again. He tracked her once more to Phaedos, where he came face to face with Dulcea herself, a meeting he would not soon forget.

Dulcea was in the process of sending her on a quest, a mission related to the information she had obtained from him, which, when combined with the information on an amulet Kim possessed, would lead them to something called the Map of Sein. If he had any hope of ever taking her back to Rheiga 4, he would have to go with her and the two would have to work together.

At the culmination of their search, Kimberly surprised him by doing an about face and agreed to return to Rheiga 4 and quietly divorce him, negating the scandal, if he would help her locate the Nova crystals, which the Map of Sein led to. Elemi had been fascinated. The tide had been turned on him and he was never quite sure how it happened.

Over the next few weeks, Elemi became spellbound with the woman the Power had brought into his life. He, a master Ranger with several morphers under his belt, found himself enthralled by a mere girl. She passed on to him the knowledge Zordon himself had passed on to her, a stark contrast to the drills and hierarchy of the Academy Rangers in his system. She showed him how to reach down within himself and draw forth the power, not for his own victory, but to share with others, to unite.

She also taught him what relationships were like on her world. Not simply the coupling of bodies, but the closeness that comes with giving up a part of your heart to someone else. It was a sharing of energy, a merger of the soul. In essence, for the first time in his life, Elemi loved. And for the short time they were together, he loved her with a passion. In all his life he had never been as giddy or energetic about life as he was when she was with him.

She was his jewel, a prize worth more to him than any empire. His ardor shocked Kim. Once released, it seemed to know no bounds. If ever there was a hard, cold, calculating man, it was Elemi, and yet there he was pledging her his undying affections and surprisingly, she found herself returning those affections. After her relationship with Tommy ended, she had given up belief in the fairytale of soul mate. She had told herself that kind of love was unsustainable, childish. But with Elemi, she privately began to wonder if it was indeed possible to love more than one person and actually found herself longing to do so.

Elemi had simply dropped his life, baffling everyone who knew him, and taken up Kim's cause as his own. He left Rheiga 4 behind, left the struggle for power and the sadistic climb for seniority, and begun Kim's search for Zordon. When they unwittingly fell in the path of Demonking, a powerful being set on recovering Zordon's six original power coins for his own use, Elemi had used his skills as a red Ranger and the power of the Nova crystals to form the Nova Rangers.

When word finally reached him of his annulment to Kim, he dismissed the news. She was the wife of his heart. The woman the Great Power itself had sent him. Laws could not separate him from her. She was not his, he was hers.

Kim, for her part, was at a loss as to what to do with him. She cared a great deal for him, but she could not come close to returning the depth of love he gave her. It saddened her, for she did have feelings for him. Elemi, seemed not to care. His love was hers when she needed or desired it. Physically, his passion astounded her. She desperately wanted to love him, but she did not believe she would ever connect with him the way he hoped and she couldn't get past the fact that he had two other wives on Rheiga. For his part, he was a patient man and he was willing to wait for her.

"Elemi?" Kee asked softly, coming up from behind him and breaking his reverie.

"What is it?" He asked testily.

"I have Jason waiting to speak with you."

"It's about damn time." Elemi growled. "On screen."

"Sir, He wishes communications to be exchanged in private." She said carefully.

Elemi gave her a measured look before slowly rising from his chair. The pit of his stomach rolled and churned. Something was very wrong. Every instinct in him burned like a fire through his nervous system. "I'll take it my quarters." He said evenly, turning his back on her and walking off the bridge.

Kee turned and took her place at her consol. The bridge was eerily quiet; the only sound coming from the soft beeps and whines of various panels. Garan made his way over to her, lightly brushing her shoulders, the only contact he dared to risk publicly, and sat down next to her. She looked up hesitantly and met his eyes, only to find them as worried as her own. Something was desperately wrong; they had only to wait for the gavel to fall.

* * *

Billy found Trini, her head buried in her arms, leaning against the counter in his lab. She had obviously been crying heavily and he silently berated himself for not following her sooner. She had escaped there when Jason announced Kimberly would want to talk with her ex-husband and that he should at least return Elemi's calls. A loud and primarily vocal fight had broken out between Jason and Tommy and Trini, full of pregnant hormones, had been unable to handle the intense emotions in the room. 

He couldn't follow right away, Karone had gone to her brother's house and although Adam was healed and sleeping soundly, he would have been little help with the two warring friends. If Billy had woken him, he'd have been too disoriented from the anesthesia to help. Besides, his leg was going to take time to heal properly and might be re-injured if the fight turned physical. Billy needed to stay and make sure the two didn't kill each other. Only when the two had stopped shouting and Jason had made contact with the red Nova did he dare follow Trini, but he still needed to be back for Elemi's actual arrival.

He knew how upset she was. She and Kimberly had been friends since junior high school and, although they had kept in distant touch while Trini lived in Europe, they had recently revived their friendship and become close again.

He approached her quietly, pulling up a stool and wrapping his arms around her protectively. She sat up and flung her arms around him, clinging to him as a new round of sobbing took over.

"Is she gone?" She asked between hiccups.

"No love." He said gently, rubbing her back and holding her closer. "Jason revived her again. Tommy sent out a series of distress calls for help, he's still holding out hope."

Trini made a frustrated sound and sat up, her eyes and face swollen and red. "Revived her again? Don't they understand the pain their putting her through?" she asked.

"I agree." He said simply. "But I also understand, if it were you…" He paused and swallowed hard at the thought. "I would do just about anything to keep you here with me."

"I understand Jason holding on to her." Trini said, wiping her eyes and sniffing. "But I don't understand why Tommy's reacting like this. He's pushed her away for years, ignored her, God he was absolutely mean to her the last time she tried to make amends."

"She hurt him." Billy defended. "I was there Trini."

"They were kids, he'd never let her take it back."

"No." Billy said simply. He hadn't been around during that time and didn't know the details, but he knew Tommy and knew how wounded he'd been. He wasn't surprised Tommy had shut her out of his life. He'd been astounded the two managed to work together as well as they did. The past few weeks they'd spent practically every day together securing the grid on her property. Perhaps Tommy had mellowed or maybe there was more to their renewed friendship than either had let on.

"He still loves her doesn't he?" Trini asked.

"I suppose he does."

"God, what a waste." She lamented. "All that time is lost, all those years she wondered, and now she's never going to know."

Billy didn't answer. He had his own compunctions to deal with. He had gone away and never told Trini how he felt either. Time had passed and they had both married other people, but by some miracle she was back in his life now. He had no time for regrets. He had been given his second chance; his focus in life now was to make up every day for the time they had lost.

In two days, she'd be free of her old life and completely his. He stood up and pulled her with him, guiding her quietly to the tiny bed they shared. On the way, he hit the series of sequences that sealed the lab off. He slid into the small bunk and pulled her down to him, turning her so that they could spoon together. There wasn't enough time for anything else, but he needed to be close to her for a while. His fingers slid gently over her stomach and her hands met his there. He was worried about her. This had been a long and painful day, he didn't want her or her baby in any danger.

"I love you." She said, turning to face him. He smiled, kissing her forehead, but she tilted her head and brought her lips up to his. As the kiss deepened he found himself responding despite his decision to return to the Command Center quickly. It had been a traumatic couple of days. Shipping Carri off to Aquitar, Kim captured, the Retts Webbing, Trini charging off into battle, Adam wounded, Kim dying, it was too much. He needed to connect with her as much as she needed him. She tugged at his clothing with frustration and he groaned in response.

There wasn't enough time for this, he thought regretfully. He didn't dare leave Jason, Tommy, and Elemi in the same room together for very long, but she had succeeded in removing his shirt and as she melted against him, his willpower drifted away. Before long, the world and all its crisis were forgotten and it was just the two of them and the intensifying love that bound them together.

* * *

"Damnit I'm her husband, I have a right to see her." Elemi demanded, for the first time in years losing control over his emotions. She was dying. It was impossible. The shock of it was like torture to his soul. It was unbearable.

"Ex-husband." Jason clarified, although he immediately regretted the correction. Elemi wasn't taking the news any better than Tommy.

"I still have rights." Elemi snarled.

"Yes, you do." Jason agreed. As much as he despised the man in front of him, he was a former teammate of Kim's and he knew that she cared for the man. If the look on his face was any indication, apparently Elemi cared quite a bit more for Kimberly than Jason expected.

This was going to be interesting, he mused. Tommy was a wreck. In the thirteen years that they had been Rangers, a distress call had been placed only once, perhaps twice. In the last hour, Tommy had sent no less than six emergency calls to anyone who might have information. Soon every Ranger in the galaxy would know Kim was dying and it would probably not be much longer before word began to spread on the other side as well.

Jason had never seen Tommy like this. For a man who had adamantly shut Kimberly out of his heart for the last eleven years, he was utterly devastated by what was happening. He had known for years that his friend's ambivalence toward Kim was a bluff. Tommy was a proud man and Kim had trampled on that pride, but he'd been genuinely surprised Tommy continued to reject her, especially the last and final time she'd tried to go back to him after his breakup with Katherine. Hell, he'd wanted to strangle Tommy for practically driving Kim back into Elemi's waiting arms.

Elemi might be a controlling asshole, but he was more than willing to love her…and Kim had been lonely the past few years. Jason's heart ached for her, but there was nothing he could do. It didn't matter now; it would be over soon anyway. He was slowly accepting it, but Tommy was deep in hero mode, still determined to save her. The Power help him if she died before he was able to acknowledge and come to terms with it.

"It's a difficult situation." Jason said, trying his best to be diplomatic. Diplomacy was not his strength though. Even after a year on the Peace Council he still found it difficult. He didn't like Elemi and he was loyal to the end to Tommy, but the Nova Ranger was correct, he had a right to see her and Kim would want to see him. Jason had no right to withhold him from her. "Our red is not handling the situation very well," He stumbled on, thinking to himself that was an understatement. "Kimberly and he were…" He paused, thinking of the right words, "close." He finished.

"I'm aware of that fact." Elemi responded coldly, surprising Jason. "Kimberly and I were also _close_. She was my wife. I love her, _he_ is the one who consistently refused her."

Jason regarded the man on the screen for a moment; surprised that Kim would have told him about Tommy. Kim rarely spoke to anyone of her former boyfriend, least of all in intimate terms, and when she did, it was just as a wistful memory of childhood. He wondered just what Kim had told Elemi and what she'd left unsaid. "Send me your coordinates," Jason said at last. "And prepare for transport directly into the Command Center. I'll warn you right now though Elemi," Jason said, his voice growing hard, "She's weak and I'll not tolerate her last memories of this life including you and Tommy at each other's throats."

* * *

Elemi's communicator beeped loudly as the Novas realized he had transferred off the ship without telling anyone. He ignored it, but the sound roused Kimberly and she opened her eyes again. Elemi's chest twisted in pain for her. She was so tiny. After all the time he had spent with her, he'd never realized just how small she was. The fingers entwined with his were almost childlike and seemed thin and frail. The eyes that had burned with the fire of life were clouded with cataracts and she was disoriented, head slowly rocking back and forth. Her forehead frowned a bit and he realized with regret that she didn't he was there. 

"It's me jewel." He said gently.

"Elemi?" She asked, head stilling in his direction, but the confusion clear in her soft voice. He smiled that she still knew him. "How?" She asked.

"When you didn't respond to our summons I got worried." He explained. "And when Jason didn't respond either, I thought I should investigate."

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

"For what dearest?"

"A lot of things." She sighed. She was dreaming. She had to be dreaming, Elemi was on the other side of the galaxy. "Where's Tommy?" she asked, unable to see the pain that spread across his face at the other man's name.

"I'm here." Tommy said quickly, springing to her side again from the chair he'd reluctantly taken by a side control panel.

Tommy had been furious with Jason for allowing the red Nova access to their base, to Kimberly. Eventually, he backed down and let the man have a moment, but Kim had called for him, which negated any agreement on his part to back off. Their eyes met blackly over the medical bed and they openly measured each other as if they were about to enter into mortal combat.

Jason rolled his eyes and exchanged a frustrated look with Adam, who was slowly waking up, but doing his best to appear alert and conscious. Kim was slipping in and out of consciousness, the last thing she needed was those two cock fighting. He circled around them and maneuvered to the top of the table. He had regenerated enough to pass on a little more energy, but he was less and less convinced it was the right thing to do. She would become more alert, but it was obvious that the transfers were becoming less and less effective. Kim moaned and fought him and his heart sank. He gave Tommy a warning look that very clearly stated he wouldn't put up with him and Elemi arguing in front of her and then gave Elemi the same look before moving away. He didn't go far, he was still less than convinced he wouldn't have to eventually pry the two red Rangers off each other.

Kimberly's head turned again and she brightened enough to realize that Elemi was, in fact in front of her. "How?" She asked again.

Elemi sighed and smiled sadly at her and Tommy backed up a step, but didn't move far from her side.

"I don't understand." Kim said softly. "It's all confusing."

"Teeg returned to Earth." Elemi said simply. "We assisted the Zeos and drove her back."

"That was the battle?" She asked. She remembered the battle, the feel of the ground shaking, but it had been Tommy with her, not Elemi. "What brought Teeg back here?"

Elemi took a deep breath and stalled for a second. He didn't want to talk about Teeg and battles, he wanted to hold on to her for a few more moments, to desperately tell her how she had changed his life, how much she meant to him, how he'd love her for all eternity.

But cultural differences once again overcame them. His race abhorred showing those emotions as weak. Merely holding her hand publicly would have been frowned upon, but, given circumstances, considered allowable. Admitting his emotions in front of the other men in the room though, especially her former lover, was out of the question. He had told her often enough when they were alone. He could only hope she felt his emotions through the simple contact of their hands and perhaps, if the scribes were right, once she was gone she would know the true depth of his devotion to her. "She was after what's she's always been after my dearest." He said at last. "We were able to save the Zeos; unfortunately Teeg left the planet with one of the coins that was located here."

Kimberly frowned and shifted as if trying desperately to remember something. "Which coin?" She asked obviously distressed and Elemi cursed himself. She didn't need to worry now; she needed to rest peacefully.

"It doesn't matter. We'll get it back love. We already know where she's headed."

"Which coin?" Kimberly pressed again.

"Adam's." Tommy answered and she turned her head towards him. "We'll get it back Kim, I promise you."

Elemi and Tommy regarded each other hostilely again and Jason nearly intervened, but then Kim did something no one in the room expected; she laughed. It was a surprisingly strong laugh for someone so obviously weak and it continued for nearly a minute.

"Kimberly?" Elemi asked, not sure if she had slipped into insanity.

"I win." Kimberly breathed and then chuckled again.

"I don't understand." Elemi confessed, holding her hand tightly.

Kimberly's face radiated peace and pure joy. "I win." She whispered again. "Adam's coin is a copy, it won't work when she puts them together. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she smiled brightly at the two dim shapes in front of her. "It buys you time." She said.

"I don't understand." Elemi said, a copy of a power coin? Surely Teeg would have suspected it, would have detected the shift in its power signatures.

"Adam's coin was a replacement for Zack's" Tommy said carefully, beginning to pull the pieces together. "Zordon charged them with the Sword of Light, transferring the power of the old coins into the new ones. The signature and the morph were identical, but they were different coins."

Kimberly nodded, tears still slipping down her cheeks. "The transfer coins were made from the same source as the Tigerzord coin; not the cosmic key that created the original ones"

"Which means it can't be combined with the older coins to make a key?" Elemi asked hopefully.

"According to the Mystic Mother." Kim said softly.

Kim smiled to herself; she had done her part. All was not lost. She may not have completed her mission, but she had bought them much needed time and the relief of that realization was nearly euphoric. She had put her trust in Rita's knowledge of both good and evil magic. Now, if the Power was willing, she might have given her friends a desperately needed advantage against Demonking.

Her thoughts drifted for a moment to Rita and all the battles she'd fought against her. She'd forgiven her. It hadn't been easy, but she'd done it and found a measure of peace in that clemency. Perhaps now Rita would begin to forgive herself as well. Those thoughts then drifted into another idea.

"Tommy that's it." She said breathlessly. "Power preserve me… that's it."

"What is it Beautiful?" He asked, ignoring the other man beside him and taking Kim's other hand in his own again.

"Lerigot, Dimetria and the others." Kim said, trying to catch her breath. "They didn't have the answer because they only know good magic."

"I don't understand."

"I'm demon spawn, born from evil magic."

"No dearest, you serve the good." Elemi corrected. He didn't understand what she was talking about and he didn't want her focusing on the circumstances that made her what she was. She needed to focus on all the good she'd done with her power.

"No." Kim said, shaking her head, she looked hard in the direction where she knew Tommy was standing. "The Mystic Mother, Rita, she knows both sides; good magic as well as evil magic. If anyone has an answer for you, she will."

Tommy stared hard at Kimberly, the pressure in his chest tightening. He hadn't thought she'd been aware of his efforts to find a way to cure her. He had sent out emergency calls to everyone he could think of; Lerigot, Trey, Dimetria, Dulcea, Dex and others. Anyone in his acquaintance who could give him answers, a direction, hope of any kind. All had responded quickly, but without optimism. Only Dex had responded that Alpha Five remembered the Phoenix crystal from his days with Zordon, but not even Dex's grandfather, King Lexian, knew how to reverse the effects. He had thought Kimberly oblivious to his desperate search, but she had been aware the whole time.

Now she was suggesting he go to Rita for help. The witch who had plucked him out of his normal life and made him a force for evil. The witch who had started it all, condemned him to a life of guilt and shame, a life in which the Power would always call him back to make amends for past wrongs. The witch who had ripped apart his world.

He swallowed hard and cast a quick glance over at Jason. He sat up straighter and was alert and interested, but he had about as much regard for the reformed Mystic Mother as Tommy himself did. They would have to trust her, to ask for and accept direction from her. Tommy would have rather begged for help from Mesogog or even Mondo; anyone but her.

He looked down at Kimberly's listless form. He eyes were sunken and lined with deep circles, her skin had taken on an ashen tone again, and her breathing was thin and raspy. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Bringing her fingers to his lips, he kissed her hand gently. "Where do I find her?" He asked quietly.

* * *

Jason wandered into the main control room in an effort to leave Elemi alone with Kim for a while. He didn't want to leave her, but, at Tommy's request, he had transferred enough of his energy to keep her stable until he could get to Briarwood and back. Adam was using the only other private room to call Tanya and explain his sudden reenlistment again and Jason needed to find a quiet place to be alone for a few moments.

He hoped beyond reason that Tommy could find an answer with Rita, but as the hours dragged by, he understood it was less and less likely that they'd be able to save her. He wanted Kim back, but keeping her alive like this was brutal. She was obviously in a great deal of pain and it hurt to see her cringe when he touched her.

He had always regarded her as a little sister, of the heart if not by blood, but since Muirantias she had been his twin. For ten years he had taken it for granted that she was there. She was the only one in the universe like him, the only one who truly understood the daily effort to resist the anger and temptations. She knew the struggle that came with their powers, the personal sacrifices it required.

From the moment the two had dropped into the Pit of Fire they were connected yet he had never realized how much the two depended on each other. He had bristled when she shut him out of her activities a few years ago, but she had still been there with her silent support. He had only to reach out mentally, even unconsciously, with his insecurities and she'd send back her reassurances. Now he was lost. He felt very alone and very isolated and even afraid of the future that stretched out before him.

Carri was gone too, which made it worse, but he doubted Rocky would have tolerated him leaning on his old girlfriend for very long. Absently flipping switches and mindlessly scanning through data that he really didn't process, he found himself musing bitterly that the two women who had come to mean the most to him in the last decade had been brutally removed from his life in a matter of hours.

It was ironic, he smiled painfully to himself, if anyone had told him ten years ago the two giggle twins would come to mean so much to him, he would have laughed. The pair had literally driven him insane over the years, but emotionally, they had both wiggled their way into his affection and he loved them both dearly. They filled a void he had told himself he didn't need and hadn't thought until now that he wanted filled.

He had told himself that he had no room in his life for long-term female companionship. His involvements spanned out across the galaxy and were insanely dangerous at best. He couldn't involve a layperson in them. Not only would they not understand, they would be placed in harm's way just by knowing him.

Jason refused to consider the idea of a family anymore either. He struggled constantly with what he'd become and, even though he was at relative peace with his fate, he refused to pass on his genes. It wasn't fair to condemn an innocent child to suffer its whole life just because he was selfish enough to want to father it.

The girls were his family. They had filled his life with their chatter and their dramas and as much as he barked, he loved what they brought to him. Now Carri was seriously ill and removed to Aquitar and he was about to lose Kim permanently. It was too much and the grief of those losses was beginning to overwhelm him.

He had long ago steeled himself that he would outlive his friends and family, but that was always couched with the knowledge that Kim would be there with him. They had resolved to see each other through it. Now he was beginning to accept that she wasn't going to be there and he was going to have to face that long future completely alone. It was more than he could bear.

Karone walked through the archway and he blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall. Taking a deep breath, he absently returned her greeting and busied himself with the data on the screen.

"How's Kim?" She asked, taking a chair on the other side of the panel and glancing back at the medical tables beyond the other arch.

"Dying." He responded absently.

"Tommy's not here?"

Jason shook his head, but didn't look at her. "He's tracking down one last option."

"Oh." She said simply.

She didn't know Jason well. She had seen him in and around NASADA and run into him a half a dozen times on other worlds, but he was distant at best, and she respected that. On other worlds he was known as Maligore's son, just as she was still labeled Dark Specter's heir. It was a heavy mantle to wear. The loss of his twin must be devastating. Karone could appreciate the closeness of a sibling.

She sighed softly to herself. Being a replacement or fill-in was not an easy job to have, but it allowed her to make amends in some ways for all the damage she'd done as Astronima. She'd done it four times now. In almost every circumstance a Ranger had been badly injured or killed and the team was grieving. Only once had it been a happy occasion where a baby was involved and the team was excited.

It was hard to come in, the odd man out, with everyone looking at you and thinking of the missing team member. But it was a service she was happy, and grateful, to provide. This assignment seemed even more difficult because the team had been together for so long and the emotions ran deep. They were now down three out of five members. It was chaotic, but no-one seemed willing to deal with it until Kim passed. The leader in Karone bristled at this. Life went on, it didn't just come to a halt because you were grieving.

"Your first twenty-four has been pretty tough." Jason said absently, still looking at his screen. Karone wondered if he was really reading or just staring at it.

"The team is down three out of five and we just got our asses summarily kicked, but no-one seems to care or is the least bit concerned that Zedd could attack again at any time. We can't keep depending on other Rangers to come in and rescue us."

Jason turned to her and smiled sadly. "Not exactly what you're used to is it?"

"Honestly?" Karone asked. "That had to be the most half ass, uncoordinated, sloppy mission I've ever participated in.

"Yeah, that just about sums it up." Jason said wryly.

"Are they all like this?" she asked.

Jason let out a slow breath and shook his head. "No." He said honestly. "But considering everything that's going on, I think we're doing pretty good. I mean, we've got two replacements in position, of course one is wounded, we have another substitute standing by, none of you guys have every really worked together, and the remaining original two are at each other's throats…yeah, we're do'in fine."

Karone cocked her head to one side and tried to decide if he was being sarcastic or if he was serious. It was frustrating that Tommy wasn't bonding the new team together and getting defensive plans in place. Instead, he was fixated on finding a way to cure Kim and Jason didn't seem to care in the least about taking over command duties either. In the last three hours since they had rescued Kim, Tommy had sent emergency calls to Eltar, Liaria, Edenoi, Inquiris and Triforia. Time that could have been spent strengthening a devastated Zeo team.

"Everyone says Tommy's the best." She said absently.

"Considering everything that's going on, you doubt it?" he asked.

Karone raised her eyes to the ceiling, but said nothing. Her brother was convinced that Tommy was the greatest Ranger that had ever lived. Tommy was good at what he did, that was certain, but she hadn't seen any moments of greatness yet; just a lot of frantic grasping at straws. Everyone was so afraid of the Great Tommy Oliver. He was nothing more than a man, one that was running around scared that one of his team members was about to die.

Death was part of life. Karone didn't understand why Tommy didn't appreciate that. She felt sorry for Kim. The woman was obviously in a great deal of pain and the most humane thing to do was to let her go. But both Jason and Tommy refused to give up on her. Jason had already drained most of his own powers to keep her going and Tommy was now out somewhere trying to find a solution to mortality itself. Nothing else was getting done. The Power help them if Zedd attacked the city now.

* * *

Tommy stormed up the steps of the Lunar Palace Dance Hall, vaguely noticing the art deco style and large, blinking, neon half moon. He pushed open the doors, marched through the waiting room, and stopped in front of the old-fashioned ticket booth. The man inside was ancient. He was thin and frail with little tuffs of white hair on either side of an otherwise bald head and little round wire glasses sitting on the edge of his nose.

"Edward Moon." Tommy growled through the hole in the glass, trying very hard to control his temper.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Moon is giving a private lesson this morning." The little man said in a soft, feeble voice. He squinted up at Tommy, fidgeting with his hands. "Are you a new or previous client?"

Tommy turned and stormed through the swinging doors that lead to the dance floor.

"Excuse me!" The old man fretted through the glass of the ticket booth. "You can't go in there now…oh my."

Tommy pounded across the glossy dance floor looking more dangerous than he had ever looked before. A tall, blond man was giving a lesson to a tiny little woman who was perhaps in her eighties, possibly a little older. He stopped and looked up at Tommy's approach; stepping back a step and swallowing hard as recognition crossed his face. He squared his shoulders and stepped in front of the old woman, as if to shield her from Tommy's wrath.

"You know who I am?" Tommy snarled, coming to a stop inches from his face.

Edward nodded. "It's me you want." He said calmly. "Let Mrs. Barret go."

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Barret grumbled, pushing around Edward and confronting Tommy herself.

"Now see here young man, this is my dance lesson. I've waited all week, you're just going to have to hold your horses and wait your turn. I've got another twenty-five minutes left that I've already paid good money for."

Most of the anger boiling through Tommy diffused a bit as he stared down at the wrinkled old woman with a touch of amusement. Her old gray eyes looked sharply at him as if she were out for blood at having her time interrupted. It would have been comical except that Tommy was in no mood for humor and he certainly didn't have time to placate the old woman.

"Mrs. Barret, I'm so sorry. This is a personal matter that requires my attention." Edward demurred, placing a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I've paid for another twenty-five minutes." She responded firmly.

"Yes, I know and I apologize for the inconvenience." He soothed. "But I'm afraid this can't wait. Perhaps if I offered an additional four lessons free of charge?"

"One hour lessons?" The woman asked, obviously still miffed.

"Yes of course." Edward agreed diplomatically. "Four additional one hour lessons. Just tell Finster on the way out and he'll schedule you at your convenience."

The woman huffed, but was obviously pleased with the offer.

"Very well." She said, straightening her sweater. "I'll see you next Saturday then." She turned and left the floor.

Tommy's gaze hardened as he looked at Edward. He looked as if he were in his late forties, perhaps early fifties, and he looked very much the part of a dance instructor, with tight black pants and an open polyester shirt. He wore two gold chains about his neck and another around his wrist. Tommy also didn't miss his wedding ring.

"Where's Rita?" He snarled.

"It's not that simple." Edward replied uneasily.

Tommy sprang forward, not grabbing him, but landing less than an inch from his face.

"Make it that simple."

Edward backed up a few steps. "The human world is difficult for her…the temptations…it gives her migraines. She's all but retreated into the Mystic Realm."

"Then take me to her." Tommy demanded. Edward hesitated, trying to quickly think of an objection that Tommy would believe.

"Kimberly's dying." Tommy growled, his voice breaking on the last word, betraying him. "I need her help." He finished hoarsely, voice shaking with the effort to get the words out. His eyes misted with building grief and he fought with all his might to push them back. Zedd, even a reformed Zedd, would not see him cry and he would not beg.

Edward's stance softened a bit and genuine concern showed in his eyes. "My word," he said softly. "What's happened?"

"I don't have time." Tommy said firmly. "Kimberly needs help and Rita's my last option. Take me to her." He demanded.

Edward regarded Tommy carefully. He genuinely loved his wife and didn't want to put her in harm's way. The man was deadly. He was one of the few Rangers Zedd had been wary of and now that his powers were gone, Edward felt a genuine fear of him. He had good reason to fear Tommy, so did Rita. He was one of the many unresolved issues they still had to work through.

The news of Kimberly was shocking. Kimberly was developing into a powerful sorceress. Even a poor sorceress wasn't easy to destroy. Something devastating must have happened. Edward met Tommy's gaze and saw the struggle behind his eyes. It had taken a great deal for him to come and ask him for help. He nodded, making his decision. "Follow me." He said, turning and heading towards the back room, Tommy close behind him.

Before they had taken more than three steps, a large round man stumbled forward through the back door and dropped a large box of bight, sequined costumes all over the floor. "Hey Eddie, what'd ya want me to do with these?"

"Not now…" Edward hissed painfully, one hand slapping his forehead and sliding down his face. Not…now." He said again firmly, turning and marching through a door marked _Employees Only_.

"Wha'd I do now?" The man called to Edward's back. Tommy stopped and stared at the man, who was now trying vainly to stuff several feather boas back into a second box. Red and pink feathers were flying everywhere and he absently batted at them. There was something familiar about him…. Edward called back to him and he turned and walked through the door into the back office.

* * *

Tommy stepped carefully through the dimensional barrier, very much aware that he could be walking into a trap. Every instinct in him screamed defiance, but he pushed forward, willing to take this one last chance. Edward turned casually to make sure he'd made it through and then walked steadily forward. 

Everything was white; white light, white walls, white floor, white ceiling. It was a stark contrast to the normal, if slightly messy, employee lounge they had left just moments before. His eyes adjusted quickly to the brighter light and he watched as Edward made his way up to a white clad figure who was engrossed in a viewing globe.

"Not now sweetie," An all too familiar voice said, referring to Edwards approach, "I've got my hands full."

"We have a visitor." Edward said simply and the figure turned and looked up.

The emotions that stormed through Tommy as he met her eyes again were more than he could control. Bitterness was at the top of the list, followed by resentment, hatred, loathing, and just plain rage. It was true; she was alive. Every evil feeling he'd steeled himself in life to fight against came churning to the surface and no amount of deep breathing or focus would contain them.

Her face betrayed her initial shock, then smoothed out into a firm resolution. The man hated her, but he had a right to. The boy she had so easily plucked from obscurity was now grown, but the man before her still had a lot of evil green in him; at least if his face and body stance were any judge. If he was here to kill them, he would have made his move already, but she had a good idea the reason for this sudden visit.

"Kimberly's not dead yet." She said simply and watched his body shift as he digested the knowledge that she was aware of his plight. "So I assume she sent you here for help rather than to give me a chance to beg forgiveness."

"You knew?" Edward asked, preempting Tommy's initial response.

"Of course I knew." She said, turning to Edward briefly. "I watched the whole damn thing. Rita the Idiot allowed Kimora to take her into one of my old dimensions."

"And yet you did nothing to help her?" Tommy snarled.

Rita turned to him with a sad smile. "There was nothing I could do Tommy. Just because I can still see into those dimensions doesn't mean my powers will reach there anymore."

"Bullshit." Tommy growled. "Powers don't fade, it's just a matter of you choosing to use them or not."

"You know as well as I do that a second chance doesn't mean total reformation." She said, her course voice gentle, but firm. "I have to choose every day whether to be good or evil. Yes, I chose not to use evil powers, even for a good cause. Kimberly wouldn't have wanted me to and, somewhere deep inside, you know that was the right decision."

She stepped down off the dais and walked toward him, pulling off the massive white headpiece as she did so. The woman that approached him was Asian looking, and middle aged, just as Edward was. Without all her ornamentation, she was smaller than he thought she'd be and very ordinary looking. The wicked witch of his nightmares was gone and the woman before him was simply that; a small woman with sad brown eyes. "I am what I am… just as you are."

"You made me what I am." He said, unwilling to give up his anger towards her.

Rita shrugged, "I gave you a head start." She said simply. "Zordon moved your family back to Angel Grove, arranged for a job your mom couldn't refuse if I remember correctly. He wanted you there for a reason. I figured if he wanted you, I wanted you first… It doesn't matter." She said sadly, shaking her head. "I can't undo it. I'm sorry Tommy, I've made different choices, tried to make amends the only way I know how, but that apology comes too late for you and I understand that."

Tommy wanted to kill her. He wanted to attack and smash her into little pieces, it'd be easy now. Years of hatred boiled through his veins and he physically shook with the effort to restrain himself. But the woman before him remained calm, silently waiting for his judgment. "Do you know how to save Kimberly?" He asked simply.

"Yes." She answered.

* * *

Jason rubbed his eyes with shaking hands. He'd transferred too much of his own energy into Kimberly the last time and his body was beginning to rebel. He steeled himself inwardly. The last transfer hadn't worked well at all. Kimberly was barely awake. Her lips and fingernails were blue and she was taking shallow, raspy breaths. 

Billy had returned with Trini. They, Adam, and Karone had joined him and Elemi around her bedside in a silent vigil. Part of him fretted that Tommy wasn't going to make it back in time, but part of him was also relieved he would be able to quietly see Kim through this without having to deal with his friend. When his communicator sounded, the six of them jumped in unison.

"I have the answer." Tommy's voice came through and Jason exhaled a breath that was part air and part sob. "Grab Kim and the Phoenix crystal and bring her to these coordinates."

* * *

Kee sat quietly on the small rock formation that was part of the ship's small atrium and garden. It was a luxury for a ship this size to have any type of nature room, but Kimberly had started it and Elemi had seen to it that the room was maintained. Large, floor to ceiling panels showed a quiet Earth, floating blissfully and unaware in its cradle of stars. 

Supposedly, the room with its small pond was a replica of a garden Kim used to visit when she was a Ranger in Angel Grove. It's inspiration was somewhere down on the west coast of the continent below her, slowly slipping into darkness. Kee wished she could see that garden.

Elemi had communicated the news that Kimberly was dying and he would remain on the surface until she had passed. The information had ripped through the team, reverberating in Kee, and leaving her numb. The group had separated into their respective pairings for comfort and support, leaving Kee, once again, the odd man out. She'd made her way here, to the garden, because it was as close as she could come to Kimberly.

She wanted to be there, was angry that she couldn't be there. It wasn't fair. She was Kimberly's descendant, her successor with the Novas. Kim had plucked her out of obscurity. She had been a nothing, a nobody, not even worth the acknowledgement of sanitation robots, and now she was a Ranger; all because of Kimberly. People now looked to her for guidance, sought out her advice. The change was laughable. Inside, she was still the same, scarred little orphan she'd been three months ago, but her status in life had been elevated so high it was dizzying.

Rheiga 10 was not the place to be born meek and it was definitely not the place to be born a servant. Like most females, she'd never known her father. Her mother was a lowborn worker and her father could have been any male in the household. The fact that her mother was a breeding female, able to produce children naturally, elevated her status considerably on a world where sterility was the norm, but she was still a worker. She had been killed when Kee was twelve and Kee, mousy and shy, had been sent to live with her only living relative, an older brother she had never met.

Her brother was the bastard son of a high nobleman and, although the man did not legally recognize him, Kav had been given an education. He was an engineer and good one, able to work miracles with the ships systems. Less than five years later, he had been ready to leave her behind when the opportunity to join Elemi had been offered to him, but for some reason Elemi had offered her a place too. It was unheard of, and Kee silently speculated Kimberly had a hand in the opportunity. There was no other reason for her placement. Kav had simply asked for an hour to drop her off at the local shelter and the next communication they had was for him to bring her with him.

On board the _Enzway_ she was a worm. She'd been given a token job of cleaning the food units and servicing the satiation drones. No one looked at her, no one spoke to her, except for Kimberly. To her disappointment, the pink Ranger was not a regular part of the crew, but she came often enough to help out and Kee rarely spent more than a week without seeing her. Kimberly was sweet and kind, something Kee had never experienced. She always had a story about her life on Earth or about Zordon and the Rangers and Kee would go out of her way to cross paths with the Ranger when word spread that she had returned.

It never dawned on Kee that a woman could be strong, powerful, and well respected yet soft and kind. She had told the girl that they were very much alike her chest had swollen with pride and the fantasy that one day she could be like her. It had never dawned on her that fantasy would come true, but perhaps Kimberly had known all along. Kimberly was her mentor, the source of her power, her teacher and everything good that had happened in her life. In Kee's young eyes she was as great as Zordon and the fact that she was somewhere below on the planet's surface with her life ebbing away was more than the young girl could bear.

She didn't cry, Rheigans didn't cry, but her eyes were hot and misty and her nose red and congested. She didn't hear Garan's approach until he sat down next to her and she silently berated herself. On any other day he would have chided her about being alert for danger, but he held his tongue. She sniffed loudly and he placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. Despite her misery, she shivered at his touch and he smiled, gliding the hand down and across her back and resting it on her other hip. She leaned into him and he sighed.

Theirs was a forbidden familiarity and he had to be very careful on such a small ship. Garan was the youngest of Elemi's sons and although he was only half Rheigan blood, he was the product of a legitimate, if only political, marriage. Although they were both Rangers, Kee's status was far below anything the government would recognize for him legally. If their relationship continued, Kee could only be his mistress, and he was reluctant to shame a fellow Ranger with that standing.

He had joined the Ranger Academy to gain his father's notice. Unfortunately the only notice he received was the knowledge that Elemi's fourth son was not nearly as proficient in combat as either his father or any of his brothers. Garan had tried hard to be the consummate Rheigan warrior, but whether it was his half blood or simply his personality, it just wasn't in him. By the end of the first year, it was painfully obvious that he had very little fighting skill, was not in the least suitable for warfare among his race, and would never be considered for a morpher. Instead, he tried a different tactic.

Garan was a natural linguist and fascinated by anthropology. Language came easily to him and social communication and interactions fascinated him. He began to study the intricacies of societies and by the time of his graduation from the Academy had mastered more than thirty languages and their alphabets. His ability to decipher, comprehend and communicate among the variances of diverse cultures earned him the recognition that his fighting skills couldn't. He had immediately been accepted to train for a position as an ambassador and for the first time in his life, his father actually noticed him.

He had been floored when Elemi had offered him a morpher. It was a rouge team, but one of Zordon's own Rangers was second in command. Elemi didn't need another warrior, he could have his pick of some of the finest soldiers in the galaxy if he so desired. But his team was not a Rheigan team. It was a diverse group of specialists assembled specifically for the quest he was leading. He needed someone who could not only stabilize the cultural diversity of the team, but also act as a contact and interpreter between the Novas and the various races they would encounter. His father needed him and placed a value on his skills over those of his siblings. In his short twenty-five years of life, he had been able to do what all three of his older brothers couldn't accomplish; obtain the praise and respect of their father.

Garan had no illusions of power. It simply didn't interest him. Elemi's three older sons were more than content to see their father chase off across the universe. They used their father's absence and their grandfather's ascension to Grand Emperor to further their own goals. Only Garan knew the man himself and there was a huge satisfaction in that for him.

Whether it was true or not that Kimberly had mellowed him, Garan didn't know. But he had grown to respect Kimberly. She had changed his own outlook on life and he could only speculate how she had changed his father's. He envied his father the bond he shared with her, but had never honestly expected to find something similar for himself.

It had started simply enough. Kee had been given a morpher. The girl could barely read let alone understand the duties she was taking over. Garan lamented daily that Kimberly could not have known what she was doing. Day after day, Garan patiently taught her what his father had no time for. Math, statistics, languages, Kee had absolutely no exposure to any of it. She was lowborn and had never had a day of schooling in her short life.

The ship was designed on KO-34 and, although the readouts were in Basic speech, many of the systems had to be reprogrammed in Kaoan if anything went wrong. The zords responded to their Rangers thoughts and feelings, but, by tradition, maintenance and most of the readouts were printed in Eltaran. Kee had to learn to read, write, and perform in Basic, Eltaran, Kaoan, and Rheigan and she had to do it immediately. Her first battle, three days later, had been a disaster, but she was Rheigan tough at the core and through shear tenacity had compensated and survived it.

He had banged his head against the wall for a better part of a month and railed against many deities for the challenge that had been thrust upon him, but then the tide turned. Kee was a proficient student, eager to learn, and good at what she mastered. Although she excelled in math and strategy, she also enjoyed linguistics and he found himself more and more eager to seek her out during the down times to converse with.

He wasn't sure exactly when his feelings intensified for her. It was a gradual awareness that he was holding his breath when she went into battle or a small touch that sent currents of electricity through them both. She was painfully young, and it was horribly inappropriate, but they were both aware of the connection.

Garan was not a typical male of his culture. He was scholastic and had dedicated his life to the study of other cultures and their languages. Although he still clung to the core values of his society, he understood that most other humans didn't exist in separate male/female societies, but cohabitated. His nation was extreme in its harshness, but it was the culture in which he was brought up. His father's relationship with Kimberly fascinated him. Elemi was a very powerful man and very stereotypic of his society, but when Kimberly was present, he softened and he allowed that softness to be in evidence publicly. If such devotion was acceptable to the father, then his son felt justified in his own feelings for Kee.

Kee was soft and sweet like Kimberly, but also like Kimberly, she could turn in an instant and become a fierce combatant. In many ways, she was more aggressive on the battlefield than Garan, but when the fight was over, she resumed her calm nature. Garan could identify with this character trait immediately. He had taught her how to take that quietness and use it to her advantage, to develop an air of stony authority as he had. But between the two of them, the quietness and calmness of their inner natures had become a bond between them. They, who had been born into a culture of power and severity, were kindred spirits in their silent appreciation of the sereness of the universe.

But their relationship was completely and totally unacceptable at all social levels. In a society of long-lived humans, he was considered barely out of adolescence and she still considered not much more than a child. Their difference in status was also intolerable. Kee was a pink Ranger of Kimberly's line, a direct descendant to the master Zordon, but it was not a title she could publicly proclaim. There were many who would know it, but many more who would remain ignorant. On the Enzway, and within the Ranger community, she would always hold rank, but to the outside universe and by Rheigan law, she was still the daughter of a servant. It was not possible for their home government to recognize any official union between them. This put him in a quandary. Kee could become his mistress, but she was a high-ranking Ranger and that dishonored her.

Garan, who understood other cultures better than most of his race, could barely comprehend how Kimberly could prefer to be his father's mistress and not his wife. To have any kind of long term union, in his culture and at the foundation of his beliefs, required an official union. His father vehemently denied that he carried on any type of physical relationship with Kimberly after the annulment, but no one believed that to be true. He understood his father's protection of her honor as did the others, but it didn't change the example he set for the team. He knew, with every fiber within him, that if he valued Kee, he should stop what was developing between them before anything serious occurred, but each time he saw her, he simply couldn't do it.

He turned his head slightly to look at her. She was devastated by the news of Kimberly's impending death. In truth, they all were. Kimberly was a larger than life figure to them; it never occurred to them that she was as mortal as they were. But to Kee, it was twice as devastating and he found himself hurting for her. She turned slightly and her large, dark brown eyes met his. He never intended to kiss her, was never quite sure afterwards how it happened, but the next thing he knew she was in his arms and all the tensions and frustrations of three months of denial seemed to burst forward in one frantic and passionate embrace.

* * *

Jason transported directly into the dance hall, Kimberly held tightly in his arms. He blinked, eyes quickly adjusting to the yellow florescent lighting. Tommy jumped forward and took her from him. He made a token resistance, just enough to let him know that he didn't want to give her up, and then allowed his friend to take her. On the dance floor with them were two other people and the muscle in Jason's jaw visibly twitched when he realized exactly who he was looking at. They looked different outside of their robes and armor, if he had passed them on the street he would have walked right past them. 

"We have to get moving." Tommy said, breaking Jason's gaze away from the two ex-villains.

"Let me see her." Rita said, walking forward and Jason fought every instinct in him not to rip the small woman apart. "She doesn't have long at all." She pronounced, shaking her head and smoothing back Kim's hair from her forehead. Jason flinched. The raspy voice was less raged, but the same as he remembered from years ago. It was odd to hear that old growling sound come from the small woman. "Did you bring the Phoenix crystal?" She asked, turning to Jason. He nodded but couldn't answer her. "Good, you need to use it to take her back to Muirantias."

Jason stepped back at that proclamation. "Muirantias? Why?"

"We have to put her back in the Pit of Fire." Tommy said in what he hoped was a calm voice. His heart was pounding and he'd actually begun to sweat with the adrenaline surge he was fighting. Kim looked very frail and weak and he wasn't entirely positive she was even breathing.

"The hell you will." Jason growled.

"It's the only way." Tommy said firmly. "Give me the crystal and I'll take her myself if you won't."

"You both need to be there." Rita said firmly. She didn't want to put herself into the middle of a fight between these two particular Rangers, but Kimberly didn't have enough time left for them to argue the matter. "Remember, when you get to the Pit of Fire, you have to get her conscious enough to know what's going on." She instructed.

"Absolutely not." Jason roared and Tommy turned on him. He was still cradling Kim, but he'd fight his friend if he had to.

"It's the only way to reconnect her to the Pit."

"So you're going to throw her in it again?"

"She has to regenerate." Tommy said, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.

"Then don't wake her up, leave her unconscious."

Jason's mind whirled with the panic of emotions he was grappling with. Go back to Muirantias? Did Tommy have any idea how horrific that experience had been for them? They had been burned alive and remained wide-awake throughout it. The slow torture of regeneration had been excruciating and now he wanted to put her through it again; the very idea was unbearable. "You understand what you're saying?" He all but shrieked. "You want to throw her back into a pit of molten lava, burn her alive, and expose her to pure evil again…all at the advice of…of…that!" He roared, pointing an accusing finger at Rita.

"The Pit is no longer evil." Rita said calmly. "The evil stemmed from Maligore's control. He's' no longer there. Kimberly needs to be conscious because she's the only one of you trained in the magical powers necessary to regenerate herself."

"Then you come with us." Tommy said.

Rita stared at her former evil Ranger in stunned silence. It was a comment made out of desperation, but it was also the first indication that he was willing to trust her. Her eyes misted with the realization that one day it might even be possible for him to forgive her. "Tommy I can't." She said regretfully. "I wish I could. The pit is a source of pure power. There's a reason it's locked away behind the Nemesis Triangle, away from both the servants of good and evil. The temptation…" She shook her head. She couldn't do it, she had worked too hard to stay good. Edward felt her conflict and walked forward, placing his arm securely around her. He understood, even if the two Rangers in front of him didn't. Second chances weren't easy. You had to make them work.

"You trust her?" Jason said incredulously.

"Kimberly trusts her." Tommy said quietly, leaning down to place his cheek against her forehead. "That's good enough for me." They were out of time. It was this or nothing. Jason's shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes with indecision.

"Remember," Rita said firmly, in a quiet voice. "You have to wake her. She has to focus entirely on one joyous moment. It has to be something that can get her through the initial shock and pain. There can be no room for fear. The two of you need to focus your powers as well." She stopped and looked Jason directly in the eyes. "You especially. Once she begins to regenerate, your connection will re-establish itself. You can't let her feel any fear in you, any doubt. You must focus entirely on your connection and love for her. Send her all your encouragement to come back…otherwise she might be tempted to stay there."

The last comment was something Rita didn't want to think about and she could see the same thoughts cross Edward's face as well. The temptation to remain connected to the pit would be awesome. She believed Kim strong enough to overcome it, especially with the two boys there encouraging her to resume a mortal form, but she wasn't positive. In any event, the two Rangers didn't need to be worried anymore than they already were. It wouldn't help Kimberly to put any more doubts in their minds. There was nothing they could do about it anyway if it happened.

Rita took a deep breath and turned to Tommy. "You're a powerful Ranger Tommy. You have to banish all thoughts of the pain and anguish she caused you. You have to forgive her, once and for all. You have to let it go. Find a place in your heart where she still exists, even if only in friendship. You have to focus on it, on how much you want her to return. Between the two of you, it should be enough…one more thing." She added quickly and both Rangers looked up at her. "Make sure she doesn't take the Zeo crystal into the pit with her. Don't ask why, we haven't time, just make sure you take it from her if you already haven't."

"How are we supposed to get past the Nemesis Triangle?" Jason asked. It had taken them days to make the journey before and Kim just simply didn't have that much time.

"It's your home." Rita said gently. "You were born there Jason. You're linked to its power. You'll always have access that others are denied."

Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out the Phoenix crystal. The little red stone glowed softly and felt warm to his touch. It was Kimberly's power, he thought miserably. It was his only connection to her now.

"Let's do it." He said firmly, walking over and placing one hand on Kim and the other on Tommy's shoulder.

"Clear your mind Jason." Rita instructed, just as she had trained Kimberly when the girl had first come to her. "Focus on your objective. See the pit clearly in your mind. Remember the feel of it, the smell. Every sense you can relive will make the transport easier. Teleportation is a reflex, when you have your target identified, focus it through the crystal, then push off and go. There's no room for misgivings."

Jason held the crystal firmly in the same hand that touched Kim. As he focused, it grew warmer and she stirred slightly. Saying a silent prayer that he didn't get them all killed and that this wasn't a huge trap by Rita, he focused the image of the pit through the crystal and without any warning they were gone.

"Power protect you." Rita called softly after them.

* * *

They landed with a thud, Tommy losing his balance and rolling to prevent Kim from being harmed. The room was partially collapsed and sealed off at every entrance by large boulders, but the pit itself was undamaged and looked exactly the same. It was pitch black except for an eerie red glow emanating from the chamber below.

Tommy stood up, holding Kim tightly to him and spun around as if to assure himself that they were alone. Their entrance had been too easy. Usually a quest for power required them to fight some sort of guardian. That they had simply teleported in was beyond his experience.

Kimberly stirred in his arms and he relaxed his grip a little. "Well, we made it." He said, somehow falling short of the aloof tone he was going for.

"Sorry about the landing." Jason answered, although his voice was monotone and far from apologetic. "So," He said, walking over and touching Kim, "We really going to do this?"

Tommy nodded, his own insecurities surfacing and they walked together to the mouth of the pit. "We don't have a choice."

"Smells the same." Jason commented dryly as Tommy sat down on the edge. He hugged Kimberly tightly, rocking her a little and unwilling to let go.

"Bro, if this is what we're gonna do, we need to do it." Jason said and Tommy nodded, swallowing hard and releasing his hold on her a little.

Jason reached out and cupped Kimberly's head in his hands. This close to the pit, his energy was at its peak and it coursed through her with more force than he intended. She twisted against Tommy's grasp and screamed in pain. Jason winced and pulled his hands back, but at least she was alert again.

"Where am I?' She asked.

"Oh God Kim, I'm so sorry." Jason said in a rush. Stroking the top of her head as if she were a small child.

"Rita had the answer." Tommy said softly. The two men looked at each other hesitantly as if wondering how to explain what they were about to do. Finally, Jason nodded and Tommy continued. "We're back on Muirantias, the only way you can reconnect is to go back into the pit."

Kim's eyes widened and though sightless, seemed to stare at him in horror. She twisted and fought as if to run away. She was still weak, and her movements not very forceful at all, but the effort she put into them broke his heart.

"It's the only way Beautiful." He tried to sooth her, but she continued to struggle against him

"No." She cried. "I can't…I can't." She pleaded, fists digging into his chest.

"I can't do it." Jason said shaking his head. He looked at Tommy miserably and backed up a few steps. "I can't do it." He said again. He knew what was in that pit just as well as she did. He couldn't sentence her to another submergence.

Tommy took a deep breath. He wasn't any happier with this situation than Jason. But they were here now and just moments away from saving her. The realization that he couldn't bear a life without her in it overwhelmed him. Selfish or not, he wouldn't lose her now.

"Beautiful listen to me," He said gently. "Maligore isn't here. You're in charge of this one. Rita swears the pit isn't evil, it's just a source of power. You are the one in charge of your own regeneration." He didn't know if he was getting through to her or not, but she had stopped struggling and was now sobbing quietly against him. "Jason and I are both here to help you. We can't go in with you, but we're right here and we're not going to let you go. We're going to stay with you. All you have to do is reach out and we'll be here."

He shifted her in his arms so that his face was close to hers. Her eyes were now completely clouded over, but they tracked his movements in the dim light and he willed her to see him. "Only you can do this, but the Power help me Kim I can't lose you again. I need you with me. Do you understand?" His hand came up and caressed the side of her face. "I love you Beautiful, I've always loved you. I can't lose you now, not when there's still a chance for you to stay with me." He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. Softly first and then with ten years worth of carefully sealed up longing.

Jason stared at his friend, not knowing quite what to do. On the one hand, he was relieved Tommy had finally forgiven her. On the other, his friend had obviously forgotten he had an audience. He averted his gaze and stared uncomfortably at the dim outline of skulls that hadn't completely collapsed when the Rangers had all but destroyed this place on their last visit.

Tommy pulled back and watched the smile spread across her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she struggled to see more than just the dim form in front of her. "Say it again." She said softly.

"I love you and want you with me." He said, his voice deep with emotion. She was weakening again. Whether it was the struggle against him or just her inability to retain the power lent her, he didn't know, but he could see the strength quickly draining out of her.

"I love you too." She said, leaning against his shoulder and smiling, "I never stopped."

His breath caught in his throat and he didn't bother to hold back the tears that dropped unheeded across his cheeks. "Then help me save you." He begged. She paused, the smile fading from her face, then seemed to make a decision. She nodded her acceptance and he all but crushed her to him in relief.

"Jase." He called out and Jason nodded and turned around. He pretty much figured where this was going to go. "She needs more energy to do this." Tommy said and Kim winced but didn't shrink from Jason's touch.

Jason was able to ease into it better this time, but she still groaned and clung to Tommy.

"Is that enough?" He asked and she nodded.

"You have to focus Kim." Tommy instructed, passing on the information Rita had given them. "Find a memory, Rita said something peaceful and joyous. It has to be enough to keep your mind off the pain. You have to push away the fear. All your emotions have to be positive. She said once you're inside, you're training will take over and you'll know what to do." He began to disengage from Kim and move a step back, but Jason stepped forward and stopped him.

"Wait." He said, remembering their other instruction. "Her Zeo crystal."

Tommy nodded and helped Kim produce her crystal and morpher. Jason held them tightly as Tommy stood up fully and braced Kimberly in a sitting position on the edge.

"Kiss me again?" She asked uncertainly as he began to back away. He exhaled the breath he'd been holding and leaned down to kiss her once more, trying in that one simple contact to express the depth of all the feelings that assaulted him.

"I'm right here waiting for you." He whispered, tears falling down both their cheeks.

Jason stepped forward and hugged her gently, kissing her forehead. "I'm right here too sweetheart." He said. "Rita says the connection should be re-established instantly. Just reach out and I'll be right here."

She nodded and squeezed his hand as he stepped back. She was alert, but her body was incredibly weak. It shocked her how difficult it was to control her own movements. Tommy was holding her steady, she realized, and she was balanced precariously on the edge.

"You have to find a memory to focus on." Tommy said gently. "Let me know when you're ready."

Kimberly nodded. "I'm ready." She said far more calmly than he felt himself. Tommy glanced over to Jason who heaved a giant breath, and then nodded also. Leaning down to kiss her softly one more time, he removed his hold on her and she fell backward into the pit.

The next few seconds seemed to drag on for an eternity for Kimberly. She had her memory. It was the night she and Tommy had spent together up at the lake. Everything was perfect that summer. She was staying in Angel Grove to finish high school, she was living with Aisha, she was a Ranger, and she was hopelessly in love with Tommy. They had consummated that love in the woods up near the lakeshore and had talked long into the night of being together forever.

A few microseconds later the memory strayed and linked to other memories. She remembered that she had been a Ninjetti back then and flown the crane zord. That was a wonderful zord; powerful and a joy to fly. She held a pink Ninjetti power coin then, not the red coin she'd been given when she fell through time. At that one brief stray thought, a moment of panic assaulted her as she remembered the boys had taken her Zeo crystal, but not her power coin. She squashed the panic as soon as it happened, realizing she had to stay focused. Out of habit, she twisted her arm around and summoned the coin into her hand. The feel of the coin, brought back thoughts of her old zords again.

She had loved the crane zord, but her favorite had been the firebird thunderzord. The memory of it coursed through her and she exalted in the old feelings of flying in it. As the microseconds ticked by, her thoughts shifted back to the present again. Perhaps, if she wasn't too far down, she could throw the coin back up and out of the pit. But as soon as her fingers closed around it, she hit the lava below and was consumed by its energy.

Tommy's life ended as he watched her fall over the edge. All the memories and emotions of the last time she and Jason had been dropped into its depths came flooding back. But this time, he had willingly let go of her, encouraged her to go. The pain of that realization constricted his chest. If this didn't work, he'd never forgive himself. He forced his mind to focus on the same place in his heart that he had found her before; when he refused to believe she was dead. She lived there, in his soul, and he held on and embraced it with all his might.

Jason also wrestled with the panic that enveloped him as Kim dropped out of sight. All his fears and doubts in Rita came screaming forward and it was all he could do not to rush forward and keep her from the fate he knew was to come. He gulped at the air of the chamber and forcefully steeled himself to focus on one single fact; he loved his twin and he wanted her back.

Tommy wasn't sure if it was his imagination that heard the soft, muffled scream, but he did see Jason physically double over. He refused to panic, watching Jason and holding on tightly to Kim with his heart. His efforts were rewarded a few seconds later when Jason smiled and bounced back up, a huge whoop of triumph reverberating through the cave.

"She did it!" He yelled, with all the excitement the two had shared as they watched her win the gold at the Pan Games so many years before. Tommy exhaled forcefully, tears coming to his eyes again, but it wasn't quite over yet. Both of them turned to where the pit was exploding fire upward in huge mushroom clouds and directed all their thoughts of love towards her.

What happened next was completely unexpected and completely contrary to what had happened before. The pit began to rumble and from its depths a huge plum of fire shot upwards. Jason and Tommy took several steps back and dove for cover under a small enclave as flames spread everywhere. The plum shot higher and both of them stared in awe as it spread what seemed to be wings. The firebird screamed a sound that Tommy briefly thought his student Kira would be impressed with and boulders and rocks tumbled from the ceiling and walls in all directions. The bird turned from the pit, flew a complete circuit around the small room, and then disappeared.

When Tommy and Jason crawled out of the shelter they had ducked into, they were as much awed as unnerved. The chamber had been completely restored, not as it had been when Maligore ruled here but in clean white marble. Gone were the skulls and rank of death and torture that had always haunted their memories of this place. The walls stretched three stories high and glistened with an aura of peace and tranquility. The pit itself still throbbed with red light, but it was neither ominous nor foreboding. On the edge of the pit, standing with her back to them and dressed in Ninjetti robes, was Kimberly.

Jason let out another whoop and ran towards her. She lifted the hood and mask from her face, then smiled as she turned and jumped into his arms. He spun her around several times then hugged her tightly, rocking back and forth with enthusiasm.

Tommy stared at her, hardly believing what he saw. She was alive…and she was all right. He stood, rooted to his spot, simply watching her laugh and hug Jason over and over again. When at last she turned to him, his breath caught in his throat. Her soft brown eyes were clear and alert and held more than an ounce of triumph and mischief in them.

"Last chance." She said, coming to a stop in front of him. He frowned in confusion, still caught up in the magic of her bright eyes, and she fought the urge to laugh. She was full of victory and nothing was going to faze her right now. "Last chance to take it back." She clarified.

"Take what back?" he asked.

"That you still love me." She said simply and his heart nearly broke again.

He shook his head firmly, breath ragged from the release of all the emotions he'd suffered in the last twenty four hours. "Not a chance." He growled, grabbing her and pulling her into a kiss that expressed all the relief and fear and hope and passion that he'd kept welled up inside him. There was nothing gentle about that kiss. It was frantic and desperate and she met and returned it at every corner.

Jason grinned and chuckled to himself uncomfortably, but before he turned around to give them a moment of privacy, he realized something that he hadn't noticed before. Kimberly was in the red Ninjetti uniform she'd worn since they'd been thrown back in time to deal with Ivan. The thought stopped him cold and he allowed himself a closer inspection of the room.

A chill crept up his spine as he looked at the white marble, which seemed to glow and illuminate the room by itself. A border of large blocks, three hands high and completely circling the chamber, contained intricate carvings of animals. He'd seen similar carvings on the temple on Phaedos, but many more varieties lined the walls here. He allowed his gaze to be drawn upwards and there, carved in deep relief into the ceiling three stories above them, was a detailed statue of the phoenix, circling protectively around the cavern.

He glanced down at Kim's Zeo crystal and morpher in his hand and then allowed himself a glance at the couple frantically clinging to one another as if they could somehow press two bodies into one. He had forgotten to take Kim's Ninjetti power coin from her and she'd taken it into the pit with her.

"Shit." He mumbled softly.


	10. Chapter 10: Transitions

**The Coins Series**

**Chapter 10: Transitions**

* * *

Transitions are never easy for anyone; especially when you never see them coming.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White, Teeg and Rexo belong to KS& me _**and the Solar Force Ranger is Chris incarnate.**_ The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice and myself.

* * *

All events in The Coins series take place in an alternate dimension

* * *

Kimberly was aware of three things as she slowly began to wake up. First, Jason was very frustrated with her, which meant that the empathic link they shared was firmly back in place. Second, she was starving, which told her she was alive and her body functioning normally. And third, she was not in her own bed, which made her smile. 

She lazily reached out across the double bed, only to discover that she was alone, but given the amount of light that poured through the windows in the tiny bedroom, that wasn't much of a surprise. Tommy didn't sleep much, she knew that, and he'd probably just left her to rest. She had no idea how long she'd been asleep. They had been up until just past dawn, so it must be fairly late in the day.

She smiled at the memory of the previous night and rolled over, pulling the sheet close, only to wrinkle her nose at the smell. She was obviously in a bachelor's bed and Tommy obviously hadn't been expecting company, but it didn't matter. For the first time in a long while she was gloriously happy and reveled in the feeling for a few more seconds before allowing her mind to process the events of the previous day.

She had taken her power coin back into the Pit of Eternal Fire and in doing so had changed its dynamic drastically. Jason was also concerned about the shift in power, but neither of them knew what to do about it. As soon as she could slip away, she'd travel to the Mystic Realm to ask advice. She bit her lip uncertainly, wishing for the millionth time Zordon was still on Earth. This was going to be more complicated than just a quick trip to Briarwood and would probably require her traveling back to Phaedos or even Liaria. She frowned, unwilling to deal with that complication just yet. She and the boys had mulled it over briefly before they left Muirantias, but Tommy was eager to get her back home and she was more than willing to go with him.

Returning to the Command Center had been a mixed blessing. Everyone was thrilled and amazed at her instant recovery, but amidst the tears of joy, there was also a hard goodbye to be said. To say Tommy had made it difficult for her to return to the _Enzway _was an understatement, but she needed to talk things out with Elemi privately and she also needed to meet with her former team. Only when Tommy began to realize how frustrated she was with him, did he begin to back off and allow her to travel, without him, to the ship.

Saying goodbye to Elemi had been harder than she anticipated. Both of them knew she was going back to Tommy. Elemi had hugged her tightly and said it was better to lose her in life to the man who had saved her rather than to lose her in death, but it was little consolation. She knew now, without a doubt, that she could never love him as much as he loved her. Although they would continue to work together towards a common goal, it would always be different between them and she felt that loss more harshly than she expected.

The Novas had been overjoyed at her recovery and Tommy's reputation as Zordon's heir and the _Greatest Ranger_ was sure to be more firmly cemented than ever as they spread the story. Thanks to Tommy's distress calls, many Rangers across the galaxy already knew of her plight and everyone would also soon know that Tommy had found a way to save her when so many other well-known masters had been at a loss.

Tommy was already uncomfortable with the title of _Legend _and probably wasn't going to take the renewal of his reputation with much grace, especially as Rita was involved, but she didn't think either of them was much inclined to share that part of the story. Rita, afraid of drawing attention to herself, tended to shy away from things like that. She wasn't sure Tommy would be willing to talk about the Mystic Mother's assistance either, so the bulk of the credit would be shuffled back on him, whether he liked it or not.

Kee had been especially pleased to see her return and Kim had been surprised and touched by the girl's welcome. She had begged her for private council, which Kim had easily granted her, but that discussion was another problem she wasn't willing to deal with just now.

The girl had entered into a liaison with Elemi's son and had begged Kimberly's advice. Knowing what she did about Rheigan society, Kim honestly didn't know how to begin dealing with the social ramifications Kee was talking about, so she had simply told the girl to take a deep breath and let her think on the matter. Kee had promised to wait for Kimberly's guidance, but Kim knew full well what the combination of teenage love and hormones was like. She doubted the two would stay apart for very long.

That had not been the time to discuss the matter with Elemi. Emotions were already too tense. She would have to do a lot of research, very quickly, before she returned and discussed it with him. Whatever the outcome, she doubted he'd be pleased and Elemi was a hard force to go up against on a good day.

Her visit with the Novas had lasted just over an hour, at which point they had returned to deep space, but she had transported back to find Tommy climbing the walls. His protectiveness was annoying, but the rest of the Zeos seemed to find the whole thing humorous and the mood was light at his expense. Trying to think of an excuse to break away, she made a point of saying she was starving and Tommy quickly offered to take her to late lunch or early dinner. But any hope the two of them had of slipping off alone was quickly dashed when the entire team decided to tag along to celebrate her return.

Jason, the only one who knew at that point the two had already reunited and were looking for privacy, found it utterly amusing that their attempts to sneak off were being foiled. He gave them both smug looks the entire afternoon and continued to suggest that the whole band tag along wherever they went as the hours slipped by into evening. After twenty-four hours of intense emotions and strain, the Zeos were more than eager to band together to blow off a little steam and the revelry lasted well into the night.

Despite the fact that Tommy tried nearly every half hour to end things, Kim actually had a good time. She was relaxed and having fun, she felt victorious and powerful after her reconnection, she was with some of her best friends, and she had the promise of love again. Finally, as the clock slipped past ten, Tommy had physically picked her up out of her seat and marched her out the door on the pretense that she needed rest.

Jason immediately doubled over in laughter and shot out several, rather embarrassing, barbs about just how much rest she'd actually get with him around. The team, more than a little tipsy and full of the fun of the evening, was more than willing to chime in as they realized what the two were up to.

Despite the jesting, it wasn't difficult to rekindle the fervor that had consumed them on Muirantias. Without asking, Tommy had driven them back to the little house he had recently purchased and all but pulled her from his Jeep and rushed her inside.

They hadn't really made love the first time. It had been frantic, almost desperate and over very quickly. So quickly that neither of them remembered she had a regenerated body. The result of the frenzy was that she had been painfully hurt.

Tommy had been mortified and very apologetic, but she had dismissed it with a giggle, laughing that they really were starting over after all. He had sheepishly followed her into the bathroom when she went to clean up, but that simply resulted in another intense session in the shower which was, quite simply, the most erotic moment of her life.

Kim grinned wickedly to herself as she stretched and pushed the sheet away. The next session on the bed he had been excruciatingly gentle, but the damage had been done and even now she was beyond sore. Despite the aches, she had been infinitely happy and had fallen into a very deep, contented sleep just as the first the first orange colors of dawn peaked through the windows.

Kim sat up and looked around the room for a clock, but it was unplugged on the night stand opposite her. Either Tommy didn't need it, or he had unplugged it to let her sleep. Moving boxes were still scattered here and there around the small room and she navigated around them on her way to the connecting bathroom.

A tiny bit of doubt began to creep its way up her spine as she closed the door behind her. Tommy wasn't with her in the room. She knew he was close by, but he had still left her alone in the bed. The phone rang once and she heard him quickly pick it up from his office in the next room. A girlish tickle of embarrassment and insecurity ran through her at the sound of his voice. Yesterday had been extreme in its intensity, whether the morning light had changed things was yet to be discovered.

* * *

"Billy this honestly isn't funny." Trini said, trying her best to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She tugged at the blindfold he'd insisted she wear and he batted her hand away from it. She was in the car and they'd been driving for what seemed like forever. 

"It's a fifteen minute dive, you're fine."

"I think I'm getting car sick." She complained and she felt the car immediately merge over to one side and stop. Damn, she thought, if that was all she'd had to do to get him to stop this silliness, she'd have said it ten minutes ago. She reached up to take the blindfold off and he batted her hand away again.

"Just tell me when you're feeling better and we'll get started again." He said patiently.

She sighed dramatically. "I don't like this and I'm not having fun." She said, the irritation clear in her voice. It was early Sunday evening in California and very soon it would be Monday morning in her old town in Switzerland. Her divorce was about to be finalized.

Trini hadn't slept well the previous night. Despite the relief of getting Kim back and the revelry of the night before, she was positive something was going to go wrong at the last minute with her divorce and she had tossed and turned. She had elected not to return to Switzerland, she didn't have to and her lawyer had argued that she was too sick with her pregnancy. It was true that she had been very sick the past few weeks, but thankfully that seemed to be finally ebbing. The truth was that she didn't want to see her ex again; didn't even want to see her old town again. It was over for her and it was best left in the past as if it had never existed.

Billy had done his best to re-assure her, but there was really nothing he could do. She had been surprised how vindictive her ex had become despite the fact that he would soon also be re-married. Her lawyer told her she was settling too low, that she was entitled to far more, but she wanted it over and Geirge gone. Her life was here in Angel grove now. In a few days she and Billy would be married and they'd start the brand new life they should have started a decade before.

Married again. Trini's stomach cramped at the idea. She wanted to be with Billy, she knew that. She loved him and she trusted him, but if she was going to be honest with herself, if it weren't for the fact that she was pregnant, she would have waited a lot longer to consider the idea of marriage again. It was way too soon, but she had her daughter to think about. The baby was going to need a father and she had already benefited from the protection Billy could give her.

She swallowed hard, trying to calm her doubts and insecurities. Billy was a good man and she loved him. She had liked him from childhood and they had always been close friends. His willingness to come to her rescue was really not a surprise. The surprise had been how quickly and easily she returned his feelings. Even three months into their relationship it still amazed her how wonderfully they fit together.

"Better?" he asked and she nodded. "We're literally five minutes from our destination." He said calmly.

"Fine." She said between clenched teeth. "Let's just get it over with."

Trini leaned her head against the cold glass of the window and breathed through the anxiety that coursed through her. She wasn't being fair to him. Her daughter wasn't his; she was her ex-husband's. No matter how firmly she tried to put that one fact out of her mind, she couldn't do it. Billy said he didn't care, he wanted them both, but what if that changed someday? Men were funny about that. They had told everyone the baby was his, but the truth still lay between them.

Right now, they shared all the joys and passions of any other new couple, but Trini's stomach was growing and this morning she couldn't even button her jeans. She hadn't told him, she couldn't tell him, she simply changed into a pair of yellow sweat pants. But the baby was a reality and that reality was going to become apparent very soon.

Billy had been so good to her and she genuinely loved him. She just prayed she wasn't using him to relieve the insecurities that had so suddenly assaulted her life. She didn't think so, but she just wasn't sure.

She had been astounded to learn how wealthy he was. She literally had no idea before he confided in her. She knew that Cestria had secured the rights and fortunes to all his work on Aquitar and he had been forced to leave everything behind when he chose to return home, but that work was completely separate from what he'd done on Earth.

Apparently, he'd been patenting and selling his inventions since he was a young teenager and his father had managed all his accounts very well. He had complained bitterly about the work and accounts he'd been forced to leave behind with his ex-wife, but the truth was that he had been more than financially capable of walking away from it.

Yet Billy held to his father's belief of living simply. He didn't want people to know what he was worth, they'd just pester him. He had his lab, he had his work, so he was content. But he had also been very pleased with himself as he explained what he had accomplished.

Trini had been stunned and more than a little unnerved. Far from being delighted with this new information, she was intimidated. She already felt she didn't deserve him and worried now more than ever that he'd wake up one day and want more than she could provide. She also began to fret more and more that, even subconsciously, she was taking advantage of him. She honestly thought Billy was happy with her, but she wasn't completely positive. Men had never been easy for her to understand.

Geirge had been a difficult husband, but not intolerable. She had never noticed the signs of his infidelity and had never seen the separation and divorce coming. She had been incredibly blind. It was only after living with Billy for the past three months that she had even begun to comprehend how horribly she'd been treated before coming back to Angel Grove.

Things were so much better with Billy it was glaring and she fretted it couldn't possibly last. They fit well together in every aspect and honestly hadn't been separated for more than a few hours in the three months they had been together. But Trini also knew that the enthusiasm of a new relationship rapidly faded and, with her stomach growing, that newness was going to be over very quickly. She shifted in her seat and sighed heavily again. She really wasn't in the mood for this trip.

Billy chuckled as he merged in and out of traffic. Trini was so seldom out of sorts it was amusing, but he didn't mind a little crankiness. He was so excited he was literally about to burst. Her divorce was only a few hours away and then they would be free to marry and raise a family. Life, for him, was perfect. He had everything he wanted nearly in his grasp. He was, honestly, thinking twice about the blindfold as it obviously irritated her, but if he didn't insist, she'd know exactly where they were going. Besides, it wasn't as if his surprise wasn't worth it.

* * *

Tommy hung up the phone and smiled softly to himself when he heard the quiet rustling noises from the bedroom. Kimberly had slept just under twelve hours and it had been all he could do not to wake her and make love to her again. 

For the first few hours, he had simply starred at her in wonder that she was actually alive and curled up next to him in his bed. The remaining hours, he'd kept a quite vigil, not allowing anyone access to her and letting her sleep herself out. His jealous protectiveness surprised him, but he assumed it would fade in time. For right now, he had come way too close to losing her and he intended to keep her as close as possible. She was his; there was no way in hell he'd give her up again.

He was in love again, something he hadn't felt in a very long time, and he was enjoying every second of the feeling. It was different than the way he had felt about her as a boy and that surprised him. But then again, they were different people. Friendship had been the foundation of their first relationship and he knew the friendship they had developed over the last twelve weeks would be the foundation of the new one, but it was so much richer now.

She wasn't a giggling girl anymore and the experience of adulthood showed in their lovemaking. It had been intense and intoxicating and he wanted far more than just the one night they had shared. The way they moved and fit together astounded him. He had always remembered the lustfulness of their youth as the highlight of his young life, but that seemed to pale in comparison to the intensity of the night before and that pleased him to no end.

He disconnected the information tube she had given him from the reader he was using and quickly stored it away in a hidden compartment within the wall. He closed the reader and stored it in a separate, but equally secure compartment within his desk. The information the drives contained required more security than he could provide at his new home, but they would be safe enough with him there until he could move them later.

He felt a bit guilty for reading Kim's diaries. She was right; she wasn't good at writing histories. The information was far too personal and was severely clouded from her perspective on things. Eventually, someone was going to have to go back through and clean it up, but it was a fascinating read.

He hadn't meant to delve that deeply into it, especially since she hadn't died, but once he started, he couldn't help himself. Besides his brother, there was no one else he knew of that was as deeply involved in his kind of work. He had suspected some of it. Kimberly had always been special to Zordon, so it made since that he had left her similar duties to his, but to know the intricacies of her work thrilled him. There was so much they could share, so much that they could accomplish together; the potential was limitless.

The diaries began by making references to the events that had happened on Muirantias eleven years ago, but basically started a few years back when Kim began to develop her powers. Other diaries were referenced, making him assume that there was another set somewhere, but his box contained only the two data tubes she'd handed him.

He had downloaded both tubes into his reader, but the contents of the green one were all the he'd actually had time to scan. It went into depth about the Nova's quest to find the coins, giving him an insight he hadn't had before on the urgency of that cause. To his frustration, Kimberly specifically avoided any mention of her personal relationship with Elemi. Their adventures together were chronicled, but not their affair. It was, in reality, better that she had avoided the topic, the bigger part of him really didn't want to know, but given the depth and personal details of the rest of the diaries, the lack of information surprised him.

There was a detailed description of how Zordon had protected the power coins, how to deactivate the security shields, as well as how to combine the coins together to create the original cosmic key used to seal Demonking in his dimension, and exhaustive instructions on how to re-seal him back into his prison dimension should he ever break out. Everything she knew about Teeg and several other henchmen was also painstakingly outlined as well as the history of the Demonking himself; which both frightened and fascinated him.

There were several interesting cross references where Kimberly had been working with Cole Evans to decipher a link between the viruses used to create the viratrons and the one infecting the Master Org spores. Kimberly had managed to draw a weak link between them, but had failed to show anything conclusive as yet.

Her work inside the Mystic Realm with Rita was also chronicled. Tommy didn't agree with her on all the choices she had made there, but he couldn't dispute that the Mystic Mother had been exceedingly effective. Kimberly had created a portal and taken Rita back in time nearly twenty-five years where she had become a well-loved and highly admired force for good. He was still unwilling to concede that Kimberly had done the right thing, but he had to admit that it had worked.

He had only briefly scanned through her documentation on the search for Zordon. He browsed it, only half reading, and paused only to note that the Phantom Ranger was in fact still alive and as fanatically dedicated to that particular quest as Kim seemed to be. They had teamed up with someone named the Solar Force Ranger, but he skimmed through those notes, marking only a few pages to go back and analyze in detail later.

Her reasoning for believing Zordon was alive was frankly beyond him and would take much more understanding of the mysticism she'd learned from Dulcea and Dimitria than he currently had. He was slightly amused to note that Rita had refused to help her, apparently agreeing with Tommy that it was a useless cause.

What held his attention most though, was her work with Thomas. It was far more involved and complex than he would have ever thought possible and he had to admit to being a bit envious. Where Zordon had left him the overwhelming responsibility of continuing the Rangers, he had left Kim in charge of fixing the things that had gone wrong over the years. It would take Tommy half a lifetime to fully understand the equations and forces involved, but Kimberly's propensity to write diaries instead of histories had fortunately created a writing style that very much simplified things and outlined them in layman's terms.

Kim had begun working with Thomas only a few years ago, but traveling through time and dimensions was deceiving. Kimberly would leave for a mission, be gone several days or even several months, and return within minutes of her departure. She called it looping time and later referred to it simply as looping. He was aware that phenomenon existed, hyper space travel worked along a similar pretense, but didn't know any physical being outside of Dulcea who had actually accomplished it. Years ago, when they had all gone up against Ivan, Dulcea had sent them back in time to just minutes after they'd originally left Earth. He'd asked Zordon how it was done, but never received a direct answer.

There, outlined before him, was a detailed analysis how it was accomplished, but it was still beyond him. To complicate matters, about this time in her chronology, things seemed to shift and simply stop making sense. He assumed that Kim, in an effort to make things easier, had begun assigning her own names to things, but he honestly wasn't quite sure and his head hurt just reading it.

The result was that he understood the basics of what she was doing, but was left with the distinct feeling that it was far more complicated and he was only gleaning insight into a fraction of what was really going on.

One thing was absolutely clear; calculating the time spent _outside_ of time, Thomas was unfathomably old and Kimberly herself was well over a hundred, if not two hundred, Earth years. This explained the depth and wealth of information she had collected and also explained how she had become so proficient, over such a wide variety of topics, in such a short time. He understood now why her powers were so much more developed than Jason's, despite her seeming unwillingness to cultivate them, and why she seemed to have so much more equanimity in battle. She'd cheated.

Understanding that she hadn't nearly the time to become strong enough to defeat Demonking or even Teeg, she'd borrowed the time necessary to train herself. She had used the looping skills she'd learned with Thomas to travel from world to world and hone her skills with different masters, all the while continuing with her life on Earth as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

It was such a Kimberly thing to do, that it made him laugh. What baffled him was that no one had caught onto her yet and taken her to task for attempting something as dangerous and duplicate existence. If they had, she took care to avoid mentioning it in her notes.

Reading further, he discovered that Kemora was hardly their main objective. The primary task was repairing the timelines she had destroyed. There was a force, referred to as _DG_, which Tommy had a sneaking suspicion referred to the dimensional guardians; a force he'd never been given a clear answer about. Kim never specifically called it that, but the rest of her abbreviations hadn't been that original, so he doubted she suddenly start three quarters into the data.

The _DG_ had taken it upon themselves to stabilize a timeline spanning from about ten thousand years in the past to just over ten thousand years in the future. It had begun, if Tommy was interpreting the story correctly, when the forces of good, thousands of years into the future, had discovered that the forces of evil had deliberately altered the timeline nearly twenty thousand years in the past. An agreement of sorts had been reached in order to stabilize the pandemonium that had ensued and a correction of the balance of power was trying to be reached.

According to Kimberly, the _DG _was a specialized group dedicated to preserving nearly six "standard" timelines that stretched out across the dimensions. Relative alterations and allowances were expected as long as the general timeline was achieved. In other words, the timelines were allowed to vary, as were the characters, but the relative themes and the basic outcome had to be the same.

Jason had apparently been wrong about Thomas turning his back on his own world. Nothing could have saved it from becoming a dark dimension and the _DG_ viewed themselves lucky to have saved him from it.

In the timelines that they were responsible for, there were four standard versions of history that the _DG_ were interested in preserving. To accomplish this, the _DG_ would dramatically alter people's lives; adding children, removing children, altering relationships and basically interfering with the natural progression of things. It infuriated Tommy, but it also enthralled him.

To help her on assignments, Kimberly and Thomas had come up with a device that would show a simplistically linear timeline for the dimension they were in. It was a modification of a far more complicated device that most of the _DG_ used. This device would show four colors: blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Red meant the timeline was critically off and orange and yellow meant that they were getting closer to correcting it.

Blue and green were the objective colors. In the green worlds, the timeline would proceed as desired toward a dimension devoted to good. In the blue worlds, the timelines would proceed as desired toward a dimension devoted to evil. Kim had no control over which way a dimension would turn, but the device worked and was beginning to be utilized by others.

There were many, many _DG_ and each was assigned a different series of events. Kimberly wasn't "_allowed_" to work in her own dimension because she was still a part of it. It was clear to him that would have changed if she had been allowed to die and her spirit had remained. He wondered angrily if that was why Thomas had been so quick to give up on saving her and made a mental note to ask her about it later. For the most part, though, she only worked on a series of timelines within a given period, mostly related to Kemora.

More important, in Tommy's opinion, Kim had become disillusioned with the _DG_ and she and Thomas appeared to be formulating their own group which looked suspiciously to him like the beginnings of Time Force. Theirs was a group of Rangers, not _DG_, that went back in time and stabilized history. Tommy was almost certain that Kimberly didn't know the Silver Guardians outside of the Red Assembly, but he had more than a few questions for her about how many cues she'd taken from his own histories.

As he read, he realized Kimberly's disillusionment stemmed from the fact that she felt she had been abused by the _DG_. She understood, because she knew the signs, that they had been hard at work in her dimension. However, she felt they had overstepped their boundaries.

Two things caught and held Tommy's interest. The first were a few slightly condemning references that led the reader to assume Zordon and Lerigot had allowed her and Jason to be taken to Muirantias and had purposely slowed the Turbo team in hopes of creating a counter version of Kemora. Zordon, it seemed, had been deeply involved with the _DG_ and, although Tommy knew she loved Zordon dearly, Kimberly could not deny that he had made several glaring choices where that event and others were concerned.

The second was that Kimberly, as a teen, had been contacted by the _DG_ and specifically instructed to end their teenage relationship. She had agreed only because Zordon had assured her that all would be well in the future for them both and because she had been allowed to believe the assumption that Thomas was simply an older version of her Tommy.

This explained to him why her letter had been sent from California and not Florida and why she'd never been able to fully explain it to him. Apparently, this was the betrayal that Jason had spoken of, but how he learned of it, Tommy didn't know. In her opinion, it was further proof that "_they_" had purposely led her down the tract that would send her to Muirantias.

Tommy, it appeared, had been compensated for his loss with Katherine; which he didn't find comforting or humorous at all. Apparently, there were a great many timelines where the two had lived long and happy lives together, but in their dimension, the manipulation hadn't worked. Tommy had left Katherine after only a few years and lived his life until now very much alone. There was one vague reference to where this substitution had apparently failed in other dimensions as well, but it was based on a stray comment of Thomas's and Kim wrote that he hadn't elaborated.

Kim had written extensively of the turmoil that one decision had cost her. She knew, because she recognized the signs, that their dimension had been seriously altered. Why they had chosen to alter it, she could only assume. That she suspected Zordon had known and approved, had been heartbreaking.

By the end of the diary, Kim had written of her transfer to the Zeo team and her resignation to Tommy's indifference towards her. She had tried three separate times to reconcile with him, to no avail, and in the end had accepted her fate. This knowledge broke his heart and he thanked the Power a thousand times that she was still alive and he could change things. It would have devastated him to read the diaries after her death, with no way to make amends.

The last bit of information regarding Kim's feelings had been trivial considering the huge body of the work, but it was the single most important fact to Tommy. Kimberly had continued to love him and he had consistently pushed her away because his own pride was too great to overcome the fact that she had hurt him. He would change that now and he thanked all the powers that be that she was still with him.

The question was how. Tommy was an extremely patient man, but he was also someone who formulated a plan and then acted on it without hesitation. He was in no mood to wait. They had lost ten years; time that was precious to him considering how close he'd just come to losing her. He was too busy and far too involved with his work to play games.

The issue was what he wanted. He knew what he didn't want. He didn't want to play the dating games, to skirt around the essence of the relationship all in the name of social conformity. That was good enough for someone with whom he couldn't share his work, but not what he wanted now.

Those diaries proved to him that she was more than capable of sharing in his life and that was something he'd long ago given up on. Very few could understand, let alone participate in, the diversity of jobs he'd inherited. The fact that she'd already been doing similar work, cemented in his mind that the Power had meant for them to be together as a team and that this was the right course.

A permanent relationship suited him just fine. He felt blessed and was truly grateful for a second chance. If he was going to be completely honest with himself, he also had to admit that jealously played a big part in what he chose next as well. Elemi had pulled him aside and made no bones about the fact he wanted her back and would be waiting for the day that Tommy screwed up. He wanted her ex-husband and every other potential rival as far away from her as possible.

On Earth, simple arrangements would be fine, but if he was going to pull her with him through the intergalactic community, a more traditional arrangement was going to be necessary. He wasn't exactly sure how she would respond to that; given her fight with Elemi, probably not very well. But her ex had been right, Earth's compliant views on extra marital sex weren't accepted at all on the core worlds and could seriously damage one's standing and credibility. That was something neither of them could afford.

They needed time to adjust to each other again; he realized that. They were both used to their independence. He had been a bachelor for a long time and learning to live with a female again would be as difficult for him as adjusting to life with him would be for her. Glancing at the calendar, he quickly scanned through the next year's events that had already been scheduled. Six months would do it, but getting her to agree was going to be tough. He'd have to go overboard, then back down to a compromise.

Decision made, Tommy closed out the computer's calendar, straightened his desk, and walked quietly into the bedroom.

* * *

Rita was furious. If her spells and calculations were right, the reason she hadn't been able to successfully tap the rest her predecessor's powers was because her predecessor hadn't been destroyed at all. She was actually alive somewhere. 

It was unfathomable. Everyone in the dark empire had been destroyed by Zordon's energy wave. Well, she had to admit, not everyone. Even Zordon wasn't able to alter the balance of good and evil. The continuum had to be maintained.

But just how the other Rita had survived when so many other dark warriors had not, was incomprehensible. She had not re-joined any of the dark kingdoms nor had she registered on any of the goodie-goodie's radars. She had simply and inexplicably vanished.

But what burned Rita the most was that her own powers through the staff were now limited simply because of the old witch's mere existence. It wasn't fair.

She had secretively and meticulously cultivated the staff's power without Zedd's notice, but now, on the very verge of her ultimate transformation, she was stuck. It was beyond maddening. To be so close and to be thwarted by a technicality was unbelievable. She was not going to let it happen.

Now was the perfect time to have achieved her fullest potential. Zedd was scrambling to get his plans working now that Teeg had left them alone. She needed to impress him, to swoop in and provide the answer to Earth's demise.

She had waited patiently for this moment for three whole months; to be denied like this was intolerable. She wasn't even sure she'd be able to make the damn monsters grow. How the hell was Zedd going to fall in love with her if she couldn't even grow a simple monster?

The only reason she hadn't been banished already was because Teeg had said she'd return soon with the other power coin. Apparently Rita's magic was the only magic that had ever successfully turned the coins evil and Teeg was nearly ready to have her malevolent Rangers make their first appearance.

She wasn't completely useless, but he hadn't any time for her either. If she could just reclaim that power she'd finally have his full attention.

Somehow, someway, she would find her predecessor; wherever she was hiding. Rita would have all of what was hers and once she found that old witch, she'd tear her apart.

* * *

Kimberly turned around when she heard Tommy approach. She straightened her top and smiled cautiously. "I slept really hard." She said and he smiled, leaning against the doorframe and simply staring at her. 

It still amazed him that she was there, in his room, and it was all he could do to make himself believe it was a reality. She wasn't gone, he hadn't lost her, and he had his second chance to make things right.

He felt another twinge of guilt that he had gone ahead and read her diaries, but he was also imminently grateful for the information they contained. She had continued to love him and that knowledge was precious. It made him far bolder than he might otherwise have been under the circumstances.

Kimberly shifted uncomfortably in the silence. Finally, she walked the short distance around the bed to the door. His eyes followed her, but he still remained silent.

"I um…I guess I should go home." She said hesitantly. He shook his head slowly no, but still didn't answer her; lifting his hand and gently tracing the outline of her face. She gave him an uncertain look and lifted her eyes to his, measuring him.

His silence confused her. He had told her over and over again during their time in bed how much he loved her. Yet, with the dawn of a new day and a sharp return to reality, she wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't regret his decision and the hastiness of the night's passion. Doubt nipped at her heart and she was very afraid that he would want to take things back to the way they had been before. She wasn't entirely sure she could go back to it. It hurt to even consider the idea. "Say something will you?" She said uncertainly.

He lifted her chin with his finger and lowered his lips to hers. The kiss deepened and the emotions of the night they had spent together surfaced again. She smiled as she felt him walk her backwards to the bed and lay back down expectantly. But he didn't attack her as he had last night. Instead, he crawled up next to her and laid down alongside, head propped up on one hand, the other gently brushing her hair away from her face. Again the damned silence. She couldn't read his expression, he was thinking hard about something; what, she could only guess.

"Please don't tell me you're about to say something like_ we have to talk_." She tried to be glib, but the apprehension had taken hold of her again.

"No." He said, giving her an amused smile and kissing her softly again. Actually he was trying to decide once and for all just how bold he wanted to be. Reaching a decision, he grinned at her. What he was about to do wasn't playing fair, but right now he had the upper hand. Playing fair could wait for another time.

He had spent the last nine hours reading her innermost thoughts, desires, and regrets while he himself was still reeling from the devastation of almost losing her. It scared him to death to think about an alternate reality where he'd read those diaries after she was beyond his reach. He wanted her with him and he wanted to insure a future with her in it.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, stroking her shoulder and arm absently.

"Nervous." She admitted, and he frowned at her, not expecting that answer.

"I meant physically."

"Sore," She said honestly and a mischievous look sparkled into her eyes. "But also very much like the first time I received my powers. Everything's all new and energized."

He smiled at her answer. He'd had his powers for a long time, but a Ranger never forgot the first day he received them. You felt a boundless energy, like you could take on the entire universe single handedly. "Why are you nervous?" He asked, playing with her hair and the thin straps to her top.

"Because I'm waiting for you to tell me this was bad idea and that we need to cool it and just be friends."

He rolled over on his back with a laugh and reached out to pull her to him. She rested her forearms on his chest and looked down at him. He had a self-satisfied look, like a Cheshire cat that had just eaten the rabbit. "Nope." He said plainly, grinning a little more. "That's not gonna happen. I'm afraid you're stuck with me. I have no intention of letting you out of my sight ever again." He watched as her eyes lit up and she smiled down at him. He felt one last twinge of guilt before plowing ahead. "Do you love me?" He asked playfully.

Kim hesitated for a second, sensing he was up to something. She had already told him in depth the night before how she felt, but she also knew that passion play counted for little in the bright light of morning. "Yes." She said simply and his eyes twinkled in response to her answer.

"Enough to marry me?" He asked.

"What?" she gasped, pushing up from him and coming to a sitting position on the other side of the bed. He chuckled, expecting that response, and sat up himself so that they were face to face.

"Not expecting that?" He asked glibly, reaching out to take her hands.

"No." She said, stunned. That was the last thing she had expected. "Don't you think that's kinda of rushing things a little?" The sex had been awesome last night and she wanted to be with him, but the idea of marriage was just crazy. Kim's mind reeled, she'd just gone through this with one man and now another was starting the same thing.

He regarded her quietly for a moment and then explained himself. "I love you." He said earnestly, thumbs gently stroking the tops of her hands. "I've always loved you." At her panicked look he continued on. "Kimberly I don't want a girlfriend, my life is far too extreme for that. I want a partner and you're the only one I've ever known who fits into that category."

"There's a little thing called dating." She said, squeezing his hands and trying her best to put a playful look on her face. "Maybe you've heard of it?"

"You and I are both beyond that." He said seriously. "You know it and I do. I'm too old to play games and I'm not going to dance around and follow stupid courtship rules. Hell, we've broken the first set already by sleeping together on the first night."

"But there's a huge gap between that and something like marriage." She interjected. "I want to be with you," She rushed on, afraid he might misunderstand her and back away completely, "I chose to be with you, but I think, maybe, we should take some time to get to know one another again." She said carefully.

Her heart was pounding wildly and her mind scrambled to make sense of things. Tommy had always been one to jump head first into things, but this was just insanity; even for him. Although, she thought, given the fact that she'd nearly died the night before, maybe he felt the need to rush things.

"I've known you since I was fifteen years old" He said firmly, not budging an inch "And we've spent pretty much every day of the last three months developing a more grown up relationship. We already know we're compatible. We already know we work well together. Now we agree that we still love each other and I, for one, have no intention of sleeping without you ever again. I want you with me and I want to know you feel the same."

"Couldn't we just move in together and try it out first?" She asked, slightly panicked. In a way, she should have expected this. Tommy was never conventional. He made a decision and he plowed forward, for better or for worse, until his objective had been achieved. He had never liked to play the dating games when they were younger, although he had dutifully done them to please her. She should have known that the grown version would be far blunter and move much faster.

Her heart raced and she honestly didn't know what to do. She had begged the Power for years to give her a second chance; she didn't want to screw it up after only one night. At her silence, his shoulders slumped slightly and he exhaled deeply.

"I don't want a girlfriend." He said simply. "And I don't want you simply living with me. I need to have permanency this time Kim, I need to know you're not going to back out again."

She winced visibly and he regretted the last words, but it was true, he wanted her with him and he wasn't going to give her up again. He needed to know that her ex and anyone else out there was permanently out of the picture. He needed to be confident that, if either of them were suddenly taken, they hadn't wasted a second of their time together.

He knew very well that Kim had never been keen on marriage. He had held her hand through her parents ugly legal battles and knew firsthand how sour she was on the idea. He also knew, based on her own diaries, that she regretted the end of their relationship. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her. What he was doing wasn't fair, and in a way it was kind of cheating, but knew his best shot at getting a long term commitment out of her, marriage or not, was in the beginning when she was still insecure; when she still wanted it as badly as he did.

"I'm not saying I want you to drop your life and marry me this afternoon," He said, giving in a little ground, "But you and I both live and work inside the intergalactic community and that society doesn't tolerate non-marital relationships."

"The intergalactic community." She sniffed. "The intergalactic community considers Earth a backwater that's not worth civilizing."

"Earth, yes, not Zordon's heirs." He said seriously. That was a low card to play, he admitted as she cringed again, but he had already decided not to play fair. "Besides," He added, softening his word, "Gruumm's changing the dynamics. The community's getting closer and closer. Earth's moving quickly towards initiation, if only because we're willing to take refugees."

"That won't happen for decades." She said dismissively.

"Actually we're on the fast tract." He countered," But you're changing the subject."

Kimberly's mind continued to spin, she couldn't think straight. Not with him here on the bed and stroking her hands like that. A few hours ago she'd been resigned to death and now he was talking about the rest of their lives. It was an oxymoron. "Marriage is just a piece of paper." She countered.

"True." He said simply. "But it's also a mental and emotional commitment. It makes you more willing to work through things than just a verbal agreement." And it would also efficiently get rid of her ex, he added silently.

His eyes met hers and he waited for an answer. It was a gamble, one based on the information he had recently read in her diaries. They had just stepped off an emotional roller coaster where they had very nearly lost each other permanently. That had been followed with an extremely passionate night where they had clung to each other, as if they still weren't certain the morning would separate them again. If he was ever going to get her to commit to the idea, now was the time. If he allowed her to wait, she would be better prepared to argue against it.

"I have something for you." He said, breaking eye contact and scooting off the bed. He walked quickly to his office in the second bedroom and returned again few seconds later with a small plastic bag. He took out a thick stack of yellow receipts that had been stapled together and handed them to her. "Look at that."

She took the receipts and read the bottom. "Sales price…" She began.

"No, not the price." He said, pointing to the top of the paper. "The date."

"August nineteenth, nineteen-ninety five." She said slowly. That was over twelve years ago. Tommy raised his other hand to reveal a small velvet jeweler's box. Kim swallowed hard and stared at it, an uneasiness settling into her stomach.

"It's yours." He said, urging her to take it.

She lifted it off his palm slowly and opened the lid. Inside was a gold ring, about half an inch wide, with a pink tourmaline heart in the center. The heart was surrounded by tiny diamond chips and three little rows of diamond chips spread out on each side. Time seemed to slow down and come to a stop as she stared at it.

"I had that made for you after the summer we spent at the lake." He said quietly. "I wanted to get you something better, but at the time, that was all I could do. As it was, I spent a whole year paying it off." Kimberly didn't look at him, she simply stared. "I was going to promise you something better when we finished college." He continued. "I'll still buy you something better. I just wanted you to know that I was serious about marrying you then and I'm still serious about it now."

Kimberly shook her head and shifted her seat, trying to absorb what he was telling her. "You were going to ask me to marry you?" She asked in amazement. He nodded.

"I knew you mom was telling you it was just a high school crush. I didn't want you leaving after graduation. I wanted you to know I was serious about us staying together."

"Did Zordon know what you were planning?" She asked quietly. He frowned at her, remembering the entries in her diary where she insinuated Zordon might have purposely altered their history together.

"I didn't tell anyone except my mom." He said. "She thought I was crazy spending so much money on a girlfriend." He slid closer to her, placing his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. "I know it's not much, I'll get you something nicer later." He said. After five years in partnership with Hayley, he could afford pretty much anything she wanted. The little ring was wide, making it look larger than it actually was, and the design his own, but the little diamond chips were laughable to a man his age.

She shook her head and leaned into his chest. "Don't you dare." She said firmly. "It's perfect." He had wanted to marry her. It hadn't been a high school crush or first love. It had been real and she had screwed it all up. She had begged for a second chance to make things right and here she was letting her fears mess it all up again.

"Perfect for a high school promise ring," He said. "Hardly something I'd give you now… I can afford better, it's not like I'm a broke high school kid." He admitted. She pulled away from him, meeting his eyes.

"You think I care about that?" She asked, a bit offended.

"No." He smiled at her. "But money helps and life's been pretty good to me in that department."

She sniffed as if insulted. "I have my own money." She said plainly, eyes going back to the ring. "And this is mine."

She put her hands protectively around the little box and he laughed at her. "Then we have a deal?" He asked impishly. She looked back up at him, then down at the ring again as if considering the idea. He reached out and tried to take the box, but she pulled it away from him and held it outside his reach.

"You'll regret saddling yourself with me so quickly." She warned. "I'm high maintenance and I'll drive you crazy."

"I'll take my chances." He said, watching her carefully.

He had been tempted to donate the ring to charity countless times in the last eleven years and he wasn't even sure why he'd bothered bringing it with him from Reefside. It had been in one of the security boxes in the Dinothunder Command Center and he could have easily left it behind. But when he'd seen it, there had been a long moment when he realized he was about to work with her again and for some reason he'd brought it along.

He was suddenly very glad he'd held on to it. It was nothing, just a bauble, but she was holding it as if it was a priceless

"Are you willing to wait a year?" She asked. If they could wait a year and live together, there would be plenty of time to decide if this was real or if it was just insanity.

He fought the urge to grin. He knew exactly what she was doing. He agreed with her, they needed time to smooth things out between them, get used to each other, but he wasn't going to wait a whole year. "Six months," He countered, "And you move in with me."

"Deal." She said quietly and his heart soared.

He reached again for the box but, she moved it out of his reach again. He wrestled with her a bit, eventually prying it away from her. She slapped him in mock frustration until he removed the ring and grabbed her left hand.

"Deal." He said firmly, placing it on her fourth finger. It slid on easily, as if it had always belonged to her and she stared at it numbly, wondering what she'd just gotten herself into. It looked impossibly wide on her tiny finger and she honestly thought she might faint just at the sight of it.

Her eyes left the ring and found his. He was grinning like a little boy at Christmas and the sight made her giggle. Well, why not, she thought numbly. Hadn't she always wished to have him back? She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the enthusiasm of the night before. He wrapped his arms around her, eagerly returning the kiss and pushed her down on the bed.

* * *

"Sounds like an intense day." Andros said calmly. His sister had just finished relating the previous day's events to him. He was glad that Karone had gotten a chance to serve as a Ranger with Tommy. Her volunteer work as a "replacement" Ranger worried him. Rangering was dangerous enough without the added detriment of not knowing the team you were working with. Just about the time she seemed to settle in, her time was over and a long term Ranger found. 

Dinner was over, the baby had been changed and fed, and they were sitting on the back patio while Ashley ran some errands. Karone had her feet up on the base of the lounge chair, with the baby balanced on her lap and her tiny head supported by her legs.

Sage had not been his idea for her name, but he had to admit, it fit her. His mother's name had been Saegwyn and if he had any say at all in his daughter, he wanted her to have that name. Ashley had frowned and put him off until the last possible second. She wanted an Earth name and was afraid their child would be teased unmercifully by the other children. In the end, he had prevailed, but Ashley had quickly shortened the name to Sage. Nicknaming his daughter after a spice didn't make much sense to him and he was frankly insulted no one seemed to like his mother's name, but Ashley's entire family and most of their friends seemed to relax considerably when they heard the shortened form.

"I can't believe he pulled it off." Karone said, cooing to her niece and beaming when the baby smiled at her. "It makes me almost willing to accept your views of him." She added glibly.

"Karone, what makes him the best is not that he's the most powerful." He said. He knew his sister was skeptical of Tommy. She was a natural cynic. People had to prove themselves to Karone and then, maybe, she'd be a little more accepting. "He's a man, with very human weaknesses. It's that he never gives up, even when others are willing to accept defeat. His dedication is what drives him to greatness."

"Maybe." She replied.

Tommy impressed her, but she still thought what he had done was reckless and irresponsible. Karone remembered the old Zedd. Although, as Astronima, she'd never thought much of him, she knew the older version would have struck while the iron was hot.

That's what she would have done. The Rangers were down, it was best to attack before they re-grouped. True, the Nova's appearance might have been a deterrent, especially if he didn't have the numbers he needed on his side, but all it would have taken was another multi monster attack while the Rangers were licking their wounds and Earth would have been in serious trouble.

She was glad it didn't happen, but why it didn't happen bothered her. She didn't understand it. Then again, most would-be planetary conquerors were incompetent, only Teeg and Gruumm seemed to have any of the critical organization needed to be effective, but Teeg didn't seem the least bit interested in Earth and Gruumm was many galaxies away. Tommy's obsession with Kimberly could have cost them all dearly if Teeg had remained. It hadn't happened, but it could have. If the Nova's were correct and Teeg's ship had left orbit, she wondered just what condition Zedd's fighting force was in and when he'd attack next.

"What are you thinking about so hard?" Andros asked. They baby was beginning to nod off as Karone rocked her back and forth with her legs. It struck him how peaceful the moment was. He had everything he could ever ask for in life. His sister was living close by, he had a wife and baby he adored, a home of his own, and a job he enjoyed.

Coming to live on Earth had been hard for him. He had left his people and his culture behind at the one moment in history that they needed him most. Their population was at critical lows and they had only enough people to successfully re-colonize one city after the demise of Dark Specter. He also felt like he should be doing more for his planet's defense, especially with Gruumm on the move, but they had a new set of Astro Rangers protecting the colony, so he had sat back and let the next generation handle things.

Kaoans were a difficult race. They built the best ships in five galaxies, but they were isolationistic by nature and didn't tolerate foreigners among them. They had even gone so far as to have removed Ashley and the others as Astro Rangers in their histories, despite the fact that his friends had helped his people on more than one occasion. Because of this kind of attitude, they had been hopelessly persecuted by other species and even by other humans for years.

Their intolerance for outsiders had cost them dearly throughout the centuries. They were hopelessly inbred, but the penalty for breeding outside their race was expulsion. It pained him that his daughter would never be accepted as anything more than a foreigner and never know his ways, but he had known what he was doing when he accepted Ashley as his wife. He had been told in no uncertain terms that Ashley was not welcome on KO-34 as his spouse. Yet he couldn't imagine living without her; even if that meant giving up his entire culture and adopting hers.

Fortunately, he had met Tommy. Tommy understood he'd never be happy isolated from the mainstream intergalactic community. Earth was still too much of a backwater. It was hard living here; even working at NASADA didn't really fulfill him. So Tommy had kept Andros busy on mission after mission as an ambassador for Earth and for other things. Some of the missions were serious, but many of them just excuses to go home and hear his own language for a while.

Ashley didn't mind. Sometimes he felt she was actually relieved to have him out of her hair for a while. She was so busy with her clothing designs, that he occasionally felt there were a few times she didn't even seem to notice his absence. Many times he'd just kiss her cheek and she'd wave absently, all the while talking on the phone or via the computer, or sketching madly.

When Karone had followed him a few years after his relocation, he'd been overjoyed. His family was in one place and his home complete. All in all, as he settled into his life, he found himself happy.

"I was just thinking..." Karone began, but she was cut off as several large explosions rocked them, followed by the sound of breaking glass and the fire alarm from inside the house. The baby screamed and Karone held her tightly against her, sheltering her in case any glass was still flying their way. "I'm taking her to the Command Center." She shouted over the noise and Andros nodded that he understood. In a flash of yellow light, she and the baby were gone and Andros carefully stepped through the remains of the sliding glass door and entered the house to see if anything could be salvaged.

Everything down the hallway to the bedrooms seemed to be engulfed in flames. He made his way to Ashley's office and grabbed the box of data disks and records they kept in one place in case of an emergency, but it was already too late to grab anything else. He made it back to the front door and opened it, only to find it covered by a large sheet. He ripped the sheet down and charged through, just as the first of the fire trucks roared down his street.

His neighbors had gathered on the front lawn and simply starred. Whoever had done this had known exactly how to take out the small ranch style house as quickly as possible. The entire building was engulfed in flames. Mrs. Henderson, his elderly next door neighbor put two strong hands on either side of his shoulders. He was surprised at the strength in them. The old black woman looked at him sadly, her eyes showing genuine sympathy.

"Honey I'm so sorry." She said simply.

Andros looked at her in confusion until her eyes went back to his home. There in the middle of the small lawn were two signs: _Abomination _and_ No Half Breeds._

His heart sinking, he opened the sheet he had ripped from in front of the door. In black and red paint it said: _Alien Go Home._

_

* * *

_

"Alright." Billy said, turning her around. "You can take it off now."

Trini gratefully pulled the blindfold off and blinked in the dim evening light. She was standing in one of the cul-de-sacs of their old neighborhood. She turned around and looked up the street. Straight down about five houses in front of her was a stop sign where the road dead ended into the street they had lived on as children. To the right and two doors down was Billy's dad's house and her parent's house was about three doors down to the left of the same sign.

"You blindfolded me and took me to our parent's neighborhood." She said, her voice completely deadpan. Billy was grinning at her like he'd just delivered the best punch line he'd ever heard of. She loved him, but his sense of humor baffled her.

"No, he said, turning her back around."

"What?" She asked, baffled.

"That." He said, pointing to the house in front of her.

"The Miller's house?" She asked, frowning.

"Nope." He said, putting his arms around her from behind and kissing her shoulder. "Our house."

"What?" She asked, spinning around to face him. His grin had gotten impossibly bigger and he looked extremely pleased with himself. "You bought a house?"

"I bought _the _house." He answered, grinning madly. "When we were kids, we'd ride our bikes down here and you'd always say that was the house you were going to live in when you grew up."

Trini gaped at him incredulously. She turned back around and regarded the house. It was the biggest model in the neighborhood and the one with the best climbing tree. To her younger self, it had seemed like a mansion and a hopelessly romantic dream. To her grown-up self, it looked like an old house in desperate need of attention.

She swallowed hard, Billy had done an incredibly romantic thing, but she really wished he'd asked her about it. Living a block away from his father might be alright, she was very fond of him, but living a block away from her mother was going to be a nightmare. She'd be over constantly. Not that Trini didn't love her parents, but her mother was dominating. She was going to completely take over.

"Wow." Was all she said. "I didn't even know it was for sale."

"It wasn't." Billy said with a smug grin. He wrapped his arms around her again and tucked his chin in-between her neck and shoulder. "I made them an offer they couldn't refuse. They're off to Arizona to retire in style, so both parties are happy now."

"Wow." Trini said again, wishing she could think of something more to say. That meant he had paid way too much for it.

"I know it needs some work, but I've hired a landscaper and a designer. They're both waiting to hear from you. You can do whatever you want to the house to make it yours. I mean it, money's no object. Everyone's under orders to make it happen before the baby arrives."

"Wow..."

"Your mother's really excited." He continued. "The Miller's told her before I could get you out here and I asked her not to say anything. She wants to help with everything, even after the baby arrives."

"I'll bet she does." Trini said softly, still in shock. Fear and doubt assaulted her. He had done it to please her, but she wished she'd had a say in the matter. It wasn't that she was ungrateful, but if he'd asked her she could have told him that living so close to her mother was the last thing she wanted.

They needed a home. She knew that. They had talked for hours about the need to move out of the lab and into a real house. Nothing fancy, just room for the baby and a slightly bigger bed. She was thinking of a condo or a townhouse close to the others, but he'd obviously been thinking something very different .

Geirge had done the same thing, she realized with a start. She had packed up her apartment, expecting to move into his place after the wedding and he'd simply announced that he had arranged for them to move into his family's old house instead. Panic, doubt and a whole host of other emotions assaulted her.

"Come on," Billy urged, releasing her and grabbing her hand, let's go explore the inside. She followed him numbly, barely aware where they were and what they were seeing.

* * *

Rocky was going to be sick. Despite everything he'd seen as a Ranger, this was beyond his ability to cope with. Cestro watched him curiously and inquired politely after his health, but Rocky waved him away. The former blue Aquitian Ranger had been assigned to guard and watch over Carri, but Rocky had yet to learn why. At the moment though, he was grateful for the other Ranger's presence as he wasn't entirely sure he wasn't going to pass out. 

Carri was submerged, unconscious, in a red tank as a robotic arm detached one of her ears. They were going to replace it with an identical, unscarred one that had been grown from her tissue. The idea of it, combined with the actual site of the surgery, was too much. Cestro offered him a seat and he gratefully slid into it.

"She is your mate?" He asked.

Rocky could only nod. It wasn't exactly true, but he didn't want to get into a cultural discussion with the Aquitian. His stomach rolled and as the last of the tissue was severed, he began to sweat profusely.

Cestro studied Rocky curiously. He had known this Ranger from Earth, but he had never had the chance to develop a friendship with him as he had Billy. Delphine was in a panic, certain that Rocky's sudden appearance was due somehow to Billy learning of Cestria's actions towards Carri on her first afternoon here. It was not improbable that Billy still had spies in the laboratory, but somehow, Cestro doubted he had learned of any trouble yet.

Rocky seemed overly connected to the female they were treating. Cestro had heard Billy speak of such bonding, but it was an alien concept to him. They had practically clung to one another since his arrival, which was as fascinating as it was revolting, but Carri did seem to tolerate the treatments better in this session. Before his arrival, she'd been depressed and listless, now she seemed to have far more energy.

"It is difficult for you to watch." Cestro said simply, trying to engage the other Ranger in conversation. He had seen hundreds of these procedures and, although it was interesting to view it on a different species, it was basically the same old routine.

Rocky nodded again, but didn't answer. They were attaching the new ear now. Somehow that wasn't quite as difficult to watch. As soon as they were done, Carri would be removed from the red tank and placed in the clear one on the opposite wall. It was a slow, arduous process.

"Is it because you love her?" Cestro asked. He was eager to explore the concept of human mating rituals. Billy had tried to explain it, but admitted it was something that needed to be participated in to completely understand.

"Yeah, I guess." Rocky added absently, wondering for the hundredth time why the Aquitian was so eager to converse. Billy had horror stories about his time on this planet and, although he still maintained a friendship with Cestro and Delphine and a few other Rangers of that era, Rocky wasn't exactly enthusiastic about renewing ties.

The Aquitians had come to their rescue when Mater Vile had somehow altered time and turned the Rangers into children. They'd always be eternally grateful to them for risking their own lives to come and save the planet, but Billy's ex wife had placed a scar on that friendship.

Rocky was worried about Carri and not just because he loved her. Her treatments were serious and he worried for her health and safety. He didn't think Cestria would actually harm her, but he didn't trust the scientist either.

"Aquitians bond empathically, is it the same with you race?" Cestro continued.

"Sort of." Rocky answered uncomfortably.

"But you are a physical race." The Aquitian stated. "Where we are not."

"Yes." Rocky answered awkwardly.

"You exchange fluids with your mate."

"Look," Rocky interrupted quickly. "I'm not sure what you and Billy talked about, but I'm just not comfortable talking about my relationship with Carri."

"Yet the two of you spent several minutes orally…"

"I kissed her." Rocky cut in. "She's going through a lot, I was supporting her."

Cestro considered the idea of physically giving a mate mental support. It was an enthralling new twist on things and something he hadn't previously known about. Rocky's unwillingness to discuss the matter confused him though. "So it is culturally acceptable to physically act publically, but not discuss the same act publically."

"Correct." Rocky stated uneasily. Nausea forgotten, he felt a blush creep up the back of his neck and into his ears.

"Fascinating." Cestro commented and Rocky rolled his eyes. This was going to a long couple of weeks.

* * *

Kim closed her cell phone and digested the messages her mother had left her. She, Andre, and Charlotte were on their way to California for the holidays; nearly three weeks early. 

Kim's mother still had many friends in Angel Grove. Among them was a friend who had a daughter living in Paris. For the past three years, Kim's mother had traded homes with her during the holidays. They would usually arrive just before Thanksgiving Day and stay through New Years, but this year her friend was off to cruise the Greek Isles before heading to Paris, so her mother had decided to come early.

Usually, the arrangement worked out well, as both women could visit with their children during the holidays, but this year things would be different. Her mother sounded so excited that she had moved back to Angel Grove and they'd all be together in one place. True, Kim had moved down from Turtle Cove and didn't have to commute, but she had also just agreed to move in with Tommy. Kim frowned, wondering how her mother was going to take the news that she was going to marry her former high school boyfriend.

Kim's mother had liked Tommy, she'd embarrassed her often enough by calling him a hunk to her friends, but she also been very serious with Kim about not getting "too involved." She wanted Kim to enjoy Tommy, but she also pointed out that there were many more fish in the sea and there would be time enough for true love after college.

The younger Kim had been annoyed and dismissed her mom, but she now understood what her mother had been trying to do. She had gotten pregnant right out of high school with Kim and didn't want history to repeat itself. But there was more to it than that. Kim had the sneaking suspicion that she felt Tommy wasn't good enough for her.

Her mother had come from a very old and very wealthy family and, even though her father had never been able to hold onto money anymore than he had managed to hold down a job, the Hart's were very prominent in Angel Grove as well. Although Tommy had grown up in Arizona, his mother's family also had deep roots in Angel Grove and they were a good, solid family, so Kim wasn't sure what the problem was. She didn't think that it had anything to do with Tommy being adopted or of American Indian descent, but their mothers had always been uncomfortable together, as if neither really approved of the other or even wanted to be in the same room with one another.

This feeling had been further impressed into Kim when they broke up. Her mom had been delighted and all her misgivings about the long haired, multi pierced "hippie" had come gushing out. When Kim would reflect back on her high school days or lament her loss, her mother was quick to say that if she thought that little high school boy was the highlight of her life, then she should go back to Angel Grove, look up the pier he was probably living under, and share his bong.

Her brother thought their mother's comments were hysterical, but they annoyed Kim to no end. The rest of the galaxy considered Tommy one of the greatest Rangers that had ever lived. He was a well respected master and leaders all over the galaxy sought out his help and advice, but Ranger code forced her to hold her tongue.

Her attempts to defend him in the past, and even recently had fallen on deaf ears. It didn't matter that he had completed his PhD, he was only a high school teacher and that, apparently, just wasn't good enough for her only daughter. That her mother was married to an artist who'd struggled financially his entire life and only just started to become famous a decade before, apparently didn't matter. To her mom, Tommy had been cemented in history as the boy with multiple earrings and hair down to his waist. She was convinced that Tommy had only been after one thing and that her baby girl had been very lucky to escape morally unscathed.

The last concern, Kim had to grudgingly admit, was probably a justifiable worry. She'd never told her mother she'd lost her virginity at sixteen. If her mother preferred blissful ignorance, even knowing she'd been temporarily married, then Kim wouldn't correct her. It wasn't worth the conversation it was likely to create. But she had hoped to have a little more time alone with Tommy before her mother arrived and started passing judgments.

Her mother had asked her pointedly if Tommy had been at the reunion and her brother had been feeding the flames by telling her that Tommy was helping her renovate the old house. Kim wondered briefly if that was why her mother was showing up so early, but dismissed the idea as paranoid and silly.

Her decision this afternoon to marry him had been precipitous, she knew that very well, but it felt right. For the first time in a long time, she knew she was on the correct path. She took a deep breath and then exhaled her frustrations. She couldn't call her mother now, the first message had been left Friday afternoon and, providing they hadn't been delayed in New York, they would be arriving at Angel Grove Airport in a few hours.

The last of the messages her mother had left said that she didn't know where Kim was, but her brother was picking them up and to call her at the house late Sunday night or Monday morning. She wasn't sure what to do, but as she flipped her phone back open to call her brother, Tommy came through the door to tell her about Andros.

* * *

Ashley was hysterical by the time she made it down the street to the shell of her house. Andros's identity as a Power Ranger wasn't widely known, but the news that his house had blown up had traveled fast. She had no sooner loaded the groceries into the car and turned on the ignition, than the report came over the radio. The police had barricaded the block and weren't going to let her through, but fortunately Lightspeed Rescue had also answered the call and Carter had people on the lookout for her. 

Running down the street, she threw herself in Andros's arms and, after he reassured her that Karone had transported the baby to safety, she burst into tears.

"How could this happen?" She asked. She'd only been gone a little more than an hour. "Was it a monster attack?"

Andros shook his head and gave Carter a rueful look. "No." He said sadly. A monster attack he could deal with. This…this was unimaginable. He didn't know what he was going to do.

"Then what? Gas explosion?"

Andros put his arm around her and led her over to where the police had spread out the sheet in the driveway and were taking pictures of it.

"I don't understand." Ashley said in a numb voice as she read the words. There had been a mild protest when she had married him, but it had been limited to name calling and the occasional dirty phone call. After six years of marriage, anything of substance had long since died out. "We've already been through this," She said, shaking her head. "You're a Power Ranger, you helped save this world. This kind of stuff died out years ago."

"I'm afraid news of the baby has apparently started it up again." Carter said.

"Sage?" she asked. "What does she have to do with this?"

Andros's arm tightened around her waist and he moved aside so that she could see the two signs still posted in their yard. "There were three homemade bombs." He said quietly, still numb himself. "They threw one into each of the bedroom windows."

Ashley's mind whirled even as her heart sank. It was just after eight o'clock at night; time for the baby to have been put to bed. "Where was she?' She asked numbly.

"On the back patio with us. Karone covered her and kept her safe."

Ashley nodded, tears streaming down her face. Her baby was safe because Karone had kept her up to play with her. If Ashley had been home, the baby would have been put to bed more than a half an hour before.

She stared blankly at the signs before Andros physically turned her around. Kim and Tommy had arrived and she registered their appearance dully. From the other direction, her friend Cassie raced towards her hugged her tightly.

"Are you guys ok?" She asked.

Ashley nodded, "The baby's with Karone." She murmured, still in a daze, tears falling heavily down her cheeks. As Andros moved away to talk with Carter and Tommy, she fainted.

* * *

Carri said a silent prayer that the latest hydro treatment would end soon. It was almost more than she could bear. Cestro and Rocky kept a silent watch below her and she knew that if Cestria was unduly torturing her they'd interfere, but she was in intense pain. The latest process was to remove the metal alloys from her cells, yet the more they purged, the more seemed to surface.

She felt weird. It was an odd sensation, one she'd never experienced before. Her heart pounded and she felt as if she were suffocating again. She tried to get Rocky's attention, but the two former blue Rangers were turned from her and engaged in conversation. She fought the rising panic within her. This was silly. She'd already been through half a dozen of these treatments; she should be beyond the panic phase. Her heart pounded wildly and it seemed as though her oxygen had been completely cut off.

Then periphery of her vision began to glow and the room beyond seemed to fade away. Inside the mists of her mind she saw a clear vision of the jungles of Phaedos and the Ninjetti temple of power where she had received her powers. Why she should think of that now, she honestly didn't know. The vision narrowed and she saw a clear picture of her totem symbol in the old stone wall. Her vision dimmed to blackness and from somewhere in the depths of that darkness she heard a low growl, which rose into the distinct hunting cry of the panther, her Ninjetti animal spirit.

"Cestria, I believe you should observe this." The tech announced and both Rocky and Cestro looked up at him.

"What is it now?" Cestria asked, but didn't turn away from the project she had been working on."

"The yellow Ranger's pulse has risen significantly."

"Then add a sedative to the water." She responded absently.

"It's not having any effect." The tech reported. "And the readings are very unusual. I believe you should observe them for yourself."

Cestria made and exasperated sound and pushed herself away from her console. She marched over to the tech and forcefully pushed him aside. Alternately switching levers and keying in codes to the control panel for the tank, a small frown developed on her forehead.

Rocky turned away from Cestria to look at Carri and immediately stepped back and grabbed Cestro's arm. Yellow energy crackled around her suspended body and, in a burst of light, she morphed into her Ninjetti form.

* * *

It was well past midnight before Kim made her way back to the condo she shared with Carri. Nothing had changed, but it seemed empty and strange to her. There were six more messages from her mother and just about as many from her brother, all demanding to know where she was and why she wasn't returning calls. She sighed heavily and deleted the bulk of them without even listening. On a whim, she deleted the outgoing message and left a new one, stating Carri was on vacation for the next couple of weeks and for anyone looking for Kim to call her on her cell phone. 

"You need any help?" Tommy asked. She shook her head and smiled slightly, putting the phone back in its cradle. The two of them had been on cloud nine until the call came in about Andros. Fortunately everyone had survived, even if their home and Ashley's work hadn't, but the entire Ranger community was rattled.

Billy had arranged for them to stay in temporarily quarters on the main side of level eight and many of the reds and other former Rangers had joined them there in an impromptu meeting to discuss what to do about the situation.

It scared them that someone would go after a former Ranger and everyone was looking to Tommy for guidance. The whole thing had caught him off guard and he had become very quiet and introspective. Kim felt for him, everyone expected bombs from monsters, but not other humans and not even the worst villains went after a retired Ranger. Fortunately, the rest of the universe felt there was no honor in going after a Ranger without his powers, but it was a bad precedent to set.

The immediate question still remained where Andros would take his family and what they would do. Andros felt, rightly, that he needed to protect them and was ready to leave Earth behind immediately, but they weren't welcome on his home world and, thanks to Gruumm, the rest of the galaxy was becoming less and less safe. Ashley wasn't keen on leaving her family either, so they were at a loss. Everyone had finally adjourned for the night with promises to come back in the morning.

During the uproar, Jason had, very quietly, pulled her left hand up and silently inquired about the ring there, but she had just rolled her eyes and said she'd talk to him later about it. He'd given her a look which was equally divided between amusement and admonishment, but had stayed mute. She was a bit surprised that he was the only one who noticed, the thing seemed huge to her and weighed heavy on her finger, but she was hardly the focus of the evening.

She sighed deeply, regretting the loss of the temporary peace they had enjoyed. For the moment, it looked as if they were all still stuck on their emotional roller coaster for a while longer.

Tommy came up and put his arms around her, nuzzling her neck as she put the phone down. "You worried what your mom is going to say?" He asked. She turned, and at her surprised look he added, "Jason says she refers to me as the _long haired hippie_."

Kimberly couldn't help it, she burst out laughing, but the laughter was good for her and she felt better after. "I didn't think you knew that." She admitted. He wanted to say that she'd be surprised at what he knew, but now was not the time or place for that conversation.

"Do you care what she says?" he asked simply.

"Yes," she admitted. "I love her and I want her to love you, but I honestly don't know how enthusiastic she's going to be."

Tommy thought about that for a second. "Does her opinion matter enough for you to change your mind?"

"Nope." Kim answered without hesitation. She grinned, putting her arms around his neck. "That's one decision she's just going to have to learn live with."

Tommy exhaled the breath he'd been holding. "Then go get packed." He said, kissing her quickly, then turning her around and pushing her toward her bedroom.

"I should really call her tonight." Kim called over her shoulder. "They should be at the house by now and I'm sure they're still up."

Tommy shrugged and followed her into the room. He had more important things to worry about right now. As long as Kim was comfortable enough with her mother's presumed disapproval to still pack her things and move in with him tonight, he'd let her deal with it.

He'd always felt Kim's mother hadn't really liked him. She'd been nice enough to him in person, but his gut told him she hadn't been pleased with her daughter's choice of boyfriends. He had nothing against her except that she hadn't seemed to get along with his own mother.

He'd seen enough teenage lust in his days as a high school teacher to have a pretty good idea why her mother had been weary of him. He and Kim had been inseparable and there actually was a grain of truth in Jason's claim that he was the one out saving the world while Tommy was out kissing Kimberly. How they'd never managed to get pregnant, he didn't know; it wasn't like they'd always been careful. At that thought, his head came up and he stared hard at Kim.

"You never got pregnant did you?" He asked bluntly. She turned around and faced him, a surprised look on her face.

"No." She answered. "Why would you ask that?"

"We weren't exactly the poster children for safe sex." He said and she grinned wickedly at him.

"We were pretty wild." She admitted. If their first day back together was any indication, they were still wild.

He watched the thoughts cross her face and smiled at his own memories of that era. "I'm surprised." He admitted. "I guess we were just lucky."

"The older power coins sterilized the females that used them." She said and his eyebrows came up in surprise. "Just the older coins," She added. "It's like an ancient form of birth control. Kept a female from taking an innocent into battle or at least that's what Zordon said."

"But Trini…"

"The effect wears off after a while and it was never a hundred percent effective," She added, thinking of the dimensions she had seen where the Kim really had become pregnant as a teenager. "But Trini and I will always have problems conceiving."

He thought about that for a moment. "Do you want children?" He asked.

"Oh yeah," She said sarcastically "It's just so conducive to our line of work."

"I'm serious." He said. This was the first of many import questions they had yet to hash out, but it was one on the top of his list.

She sat down on the bed and folded the nightgowns she'd taken out of a laundry basket of clean clothes. "I don't know." She answered honestly, but not looking at him. "Jason and I talked adnauseam about this. We're not normal. No children we have will ever be normal."

"Normal by whose standards?" He asked and she gave a soft chuckle.

"Earth's I guess." She answered.

"Sweetheart," He said, walking over and sitting next to her. "None of us can ever be judged by Earth's current standards. Too much has happened to us. We'll never fit into that narrow of a definition again."

She met his gaze and smiled ruefully. "And what if I birth a son who comes out looking exactly like Maligore?"

"Then we cross that bridge when we come to it." He said seriously. Then he asked an even more serious question. "Do you think you can have children?"

Kim was a hybrid, a Muirantian, whatever that meant. He knew that Jason had sworn never to have children, to never pass on his Muirantian abilities, but he didn't know Kim's stance. He understood and, in a way, approved, but after years of wondering what he was an where he came from, he still wanted a family of his own.

He understood that she wasn't entirely human anymore, neither was he if he was going to be completely honest. Every morpher altered your DNA just a little and after so many, he just wasn't sure what his genetics scans would read like. The Dino gems were also never meant for human use. What they had done to further complicate his DNA, he really didn't want to complicate. All of that added to the powers Zordon had given him just before he left and he supposed he was as different genetically as she was. Family had always been important to him and to have a family that was genetically related to him was priceless.

If he was going to be honest, neither he nor his brother had ever been what Earth would consider a normal human being. Both had advanced telekinetic skills and powers that would be considered strange even on a core world. He wasn't even sure where they were from; but he was pretty sure it wasn't Earth. He and David had extensively searched their closed adoption records using Tommy's vast connections, but the woman the records indicated was their birth mother wasn't even genetically related to them and there was no father listed. His brother seemed non phased by it all, but it was baffling and frustrating and left Tommy feeling more isolated and alone than ever.

Eyes focusing back on Kim as she packed up her room, he realized she'd ignored his question, so he asked it again. She shrugged, "I don't know. I suppose so, but I know the scientists at NASADA said I could only expect to ovulate once or twice a year... if that."

Tommy thought about that for a moment. That would mean they'd have to consciously be trying and even then they'd probably need artificial help, but it certainly solved the burning question he'd had since their incredibly fabulous but stupidly unprotected night and afternoon together.

"Is that ok?" She asked quietly.

He thought about it for a minute and nodded. "I want kids." He said. "Not now, but in the future. I don't have any biological family except for my brother and his son. Having kids has always been important to me."

Kimberly nodded at him in understanding. They had talked about this as kids and his views apparently hadn't changed. It was beyond her though how they'd ever manage to raise children together. Tommy had his duties and she had hers. There was no time for children. "Then we'll talk about it again in the future." She said quietly.

Tommy nodded, but didn't say anything. His eyes strayed to the folded night gowns and he grinned roguishly. "You actually think you're gonna get a chance to wear these?" he asked. She gave him an admonishing look and he laughed, leaning back across the small bed and rubbing his eyes. He hadn't expected to get tired again so quickly, but they'd had a rough couple of days.

He spied a picture of Kim and her brother as kids on the side table and picked it up for a closer look, wondering what their own kids might look like one day. The framed picture was how he remembered her brother; young and full of mischief. Mike was now grown and out on his own. It was hard to believe. His thoughts drifted back to the early years of high school and he frowned deeply.

"What?" she asked, adding several pairs of jeans to the suitcase.

"Just wondering why your mother hated me so much."

"She didn't hate you," she said, dropping the matching shirts she'd selected into the suitcase and coming over to him. "She just thought your only mission in life was to steal my virginity."

"Well she was right about that." He said, roguishly. "Only, if I remember correctly, it was you climbing all over me."

"Hey," she barked indignantly, slapping him playfully.

His eyes took on a smoky look and he pulled her down to him, hands wandering seductively. "Too bad you've only got a single bed in here." He leered.

She shrugged her shoulder, returning his gaze with a heat that surprised and enthralled him. "If we could do it in the back of that little car I had, a single bed could be considered spacious."

He laughed, pushing her back up and smacking her backside playfully. "Go pack." He said. "We'll continue that conversation once I get you home."

Home, he thought. Andros had lost his home. He understood his friend's dilemma. The galaxy was far from a safe place. Andros had thought he'd found a safe haven for his family on his wife's world, but he'd been wrong. Alien monsters weren't the only beings who hated. Unfortunately, Tommy was afraid this was just the tip of the iceberg.

This was an issue that was just going to get worse as the war progressed. There were massive droves of refugees running in terror from General Gruumm. Millions had already been displaced from conquered or destroyed worlds; millions more would be next. Soon there would be no place left for them to go among the core worlds. All of them needed safe homes for their families and all of them were looking to the Rangers for help.

Tommy mulled over his earlier conversation with Carter. Lightspeed had an idea, but it was not set up to take charge of such a massive and public project. He wondered if it could really work. A segregated island, to be created just off the California coastline, that would house a major intergalactic port city and cater to thousands of displaced families.

Billy had already approached him about the idea and he'd dismissed it. There was no way the governments of the world would cooperate long enough to get it built. But Billy's idea had been to make it a separate society; one massive intergalactic embassy. Territory the rest of world would have no say over and governed and protected by the Power Rangers themselves.

He wondered if it could possibly work and if the crimes committed against Andros might be used as a catalyst to gain acceptance for the project with the world governments. If the Power Rangers themselves weren't safe from these kinds of crimes, what hope did the refugees have?

The refugees needed a home of their own, maybe it was time for the Power Rangers to have a home of their own too; a place where all the different fractions and academies could exchange knowledge under one roof. The idea seemed too good to be true.

Tommy watched as Kim closed one large suitcase and opened another. She didn't have much here; most of her stuff was in storage until her house was renovated. She'd planned to take one or two suitcases tonight and then they'd come for the rest of her things later.

As he watched her pack, he realized that he was taking her to his own home; one they were going to share together. _Home_. The word stuck in his brain and he mulled it over and over again. What a wonderful and marvelous concept when it pertained to her.


	11. Chapter 11: Family Ties

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 11: Family Ties

* * *

Even though the Rangers are still reeling from previous events, life goes on and they still have more than their share to deal with… but they just might get a break from a very unexpected source.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

* * *

The Coins takes place in an Alternate Dimension.

* * *

Tommy was dreaming. That was the only answer for the little girl giggling in front of him. He and Kimberly had talked about children last night and his mother had bubbled on about grandchildren this morning when he called to tell her Kim was moving in and they were getting married. The little girl looked exactly like Kimberly had, right down to the pink ponytail holder on top of her head. 

He remembered that image well. Back when they were in high school, Zedd had used the rock of time to turn them into children and he always remembered thinking how pretty she'd been as a little girl. She'd taken his breath away, even at a stage in life where girls should be considered cootie ridden, and the memory of that squirmy feeling had stayed with him.

The sun was warm on his face and he sighed contentedly. He'd only stretched out in the hammock a little while ago to rest his eyes. He had made fun of Kimberly when she had hung it up instead of sending it to storage with the rest of her things, but he was glad now that she had. The house was bare and there was no other place to sit and wait now that the rooms were gutted. He was more tired than he should be. There was just too much going on in such a short period of time.

He didn't dream often anymore. Most of the time the images he saw were glimpses into the future or a memory from his past that was relevant to the present. He had purposely allowed himself a few extra hours of sleep last night in the hope that he'd remember some forgotten wisdom by Zordon or another master. He needed help answering the questions the Rangers were asking him in the wake of Andros's calamity and he also needed help deciding if the answers other people had found were the right ones. But this morning he'd only woken to a massive headache and the hammock up at the old house had seemed very appealing.

The little girl danced in and out of his line of vision. She didn't feel like a memory nor did she have the surreal quality glimpses into the future held. She was simply a dream; a very sweet one.

Kimberly was going to bring her mom and stepfather out to see the old house this morning and he'd headed out to _Heartland_ at first light to cover up any equipment that shouldn't be seen. If anyone had asked, he would have denied using any advanced technology to renovate it, but no one had asked and no one would. Most at NASADA and other forums were afraid of him. He didn't think Zordon would approve of his reputation, but he didn't discourage the weariness. Considering his youth, it served its purpose with the older generations. All knew he was recognized by Zordon and all were glad to have him on their side, but he was still well known as a former evil Ranger.

There wasn't much equipment in the house that shouldn't be there. There was a nail retriever Hayley had made him based on his specifications. Its high powered magnet retrieved the nails from the old boards and lath and deposited them into a small bin. The bin could then be attached to another small mechanism, more commonly used for broken zord parts, that would melt them down and filter out any impurities so that the metal could be turned into more nails or other metal items he might need. The time it saved was phenomenal and he was eager to show it to his brother.

There was a similar machine that recycled the old wood that he'd also made sure was well covered. Tommy would feed it the lath or any scrap wood that wasn't being saved and it would reduce it into a pulp like mixture that could create new moldings or other wood products using a computerized pattern and high pressure. The finished product was programmed to look and feel exactly like solid wood, right down the random grains that could be seen when you cut it.

That particular machine had been pirated directly off of Triforia and the markings alone made it look distinctly alien, but Haley had great hopes of getting a working version up and running for Earth very soon. It was a conservationist's dream and saved thousands of dollars in new wood products. Its profit potential, according to Hayley, would be astronomical, but only if she could get a version working that was made solely from local parts.

That was the best thing about his association with Hayley. He'd come up with the ideas and she'd actually turn them into a reality. Together, they'd carved out a comfortable and lucrative partnership. Fortunately, most of his ideas for the common market weren't derived from his experience as a Ranger or he'd be prone to a little more guilt over the profits he'd made. He still felt guilty anyway, which was probably why he funneled so much of it back into the Rangers. Occasionally, he'd show her an alien device, but in most cases, like the DNA machine that had been so phenomenally successful, he simply thought of tools that he wished he had and brought the idea to Hayley.

She'd toss them into two categories: Doable and weird. She never told him anything was impossible, but he had the distinct feeling she liked those ideas the best. He was, however, hesitant to bring too much technology on the market so quickly. But, guilt over the profits or no, Rangering was astronomically expensive and most of his share needed to be quickly re-directed back to the Rangers. Between Billy and himself, the development of the Zeo mission had run exceptionally smooth, but there was more than one Ranger team operating at the moment and everyone seemed to need help. Then there were the other astronomically expensive projects he was being pressed into taking, but that was what had given him such a headache and there was still no clear answer for him yet.

The last machine that needed covering was the one he and Kim had used to clear out the asbestos on the lower level. He wasn't much worried about that one. It was innocuous looking, but it had saved her thousands of dollars and done a far better job cleaning out that substance than any crew she could have hired; if any would have been willing to work at _Haunted Hill_. They were done with that part anyway and it had been easy to just take it apart and store it away with the other tools.

The lower level of the house had been a mess. The construction itself was very sound, but her grandfather had absolutely gutted the first story and built himself a nice, nineteen-forties style ranch where once had been a beautiful entry, parlors, and library. There were a few photos of what it had looked like, but not really enough to reconstruct it.

Given the other problems with the house, saving the inside wasn't going to be practical anyway and Kim had made the hard discussion to renovate rather than restore the old building. It was the best solution and the one he had encouraged her toward. All the walls needed to be opened for electrical wiring and plumbing anyway and as long as they were open, they might as well take advantage and create the best floor plan they could. There was no reason to preserve the nine tiny bedrooms upstairs any more than they need to preserve her grandfather's remodel. It wasn't useful to her. They would pay more attention to historical details on the outside of the house where more of the original details were still left.

The little girl had started putting wildflowers around his head, which was about the time he realized he wasn't dreaming. It startled him, because his reflexes were better than that. Even in deep sleep he would still wake instantly if his senses told him something wasn't right. Kimberly simply rolling over in bed would usually bring him fully conscious. To further prove he wasn't asleep, he heard Kim's hushed voice sternly admonishing the girl…in French.

"But he's awake." Charlotte whined back, in perfectly accented American English.

Kim came into view then, placing two firm hands on the girl's shoulders and pulling her back a step.

"I told you not sneak up on him." She said firmly, "It's not safe to creep up on strange men."

"He's not a strange man, he's your boyfriend." Charlotte countered unrepentantly. "And you told momma you were going to marry him, which makes him family."

"You must be Charlotte." Tommy said, fully awake now and swinging his legs over the side of the hammock. The girl grinned at him with the same mischievous smirk her sister had and he felt his heart melt. "Nice to meet you." He held out his hand and she shook it, then giggled and pulled it back.

"You're cute." She demurred, with a cocky set to her chin and what he assumed was a well practiced batting of her eyes, "For an old guy." She added.

* * *

Billy stared down at Trini, simply looking at her. She had fallen asleep on the counter of her workspace and he was hesitant to wake her. Neither of them had slept the night before. She had tossed and turned and worried and he had done his best to calm her down, but in the end he had simply let her fret. 

Her attorney had finally called. Her case had been one of the last ones to be read and just before eight o'clock in the morning in Angel Grove, nearly five in the evening in her old town in Switzerland, her status as a single person had been restored. For some reason, the call had been directed to him and not to her. He'd raced back to the lab to tell her in person, but she was so soundly asleep, he was hesitant to wake her.

He sat down and watched her quietly. She was free. It was hard to believe. The entire time they had been together as a couple, she'd been attached to the shadow of someone else. Someone who hadn't wanted her; the thought was inconceivable. His entire life he'd wanted her. To think that someone had her love and devotion and simply threw it away was beyond belief; not that he was complaining.

He had known her for two decades; almost his entire life. To his eight year old self, Trini had been an angel. Up to that point in his life, he'd been summarily shunned by his peers. He wore coke bottle glasses, his thought process was baffling to them, his communication skills nonexistent, and he was beyond awkward physically. She, in contrast had been pretty and sweet but had been equally shunned because she was shy and, at that point, didn't speak the right language. Trini had been lost in a new country where no one knew either Vietnamese or French and she had been forced at a very young age to develop a third new language.

They had become friends when the other kids had run away from her laughing and she had sat down crying in his yard. He didn't speak Vietnamese, but he did know quite a bit of French for an eight year old American and she had been incredibly grateful and relieved to find someone her age to talk to. The two had clung to each other on the bus, on the playground, and in the neighborhood; each appreciative to have the other.

But Trini was far too pretty to remain isolated for long. By the end of fourth grade she was proficient enough in English to be mainstreamed back into the normal classes and, despite her natural shyness, she developed a wide circle of friends. He had assumed she'd drift away, but she surprised him. She kept him firmly in tow and made sure that everyone knew if they included her, they included him. She translated for him, made him acceptable, and made the socially cruel masses appreciate him for what he was.

By Junior High, Trini was fast friends with Kimberly, who was, undisputedly, the most popular cheerleader at school. Kim, the social queen of their peers, didn't understand him, but he was Trini's friend and that made him her friend as well.

Kim took up Trini's cause of trying to make him socially acceptable and everyone knew if they picked on Billy she'd immediately expel them from the most popular circles. It was a power he had never experienced before. He wasn't exactly included in the popular crowd, and the snob mob still dug at him, but he didn't get picked on either.

They tried, but failed to dress him appropriately, he just simply didn't care, but Kim got him interested in gymnastics and Trini pulled him along to Ti Chi and that seemed to curb the worst of his natural clumsiness. Also, thanks to the added exercise, he began to build a little muscle in his otherwise pathetically scrawny frame.

While the rest of the science geeks found themselves shoved into lockers, Kim had touted his tutoring abilities so much that he actually found himself in the enviable position of making a pretty descent teenage living for himself. What's more, as they progressed through junior high and into high school, his position as a friend to Jason, part of the jock crowd, and Zack, part of the hip crowd, gave him a pretty descent status of his own; for a certified science geek. Jason developed his interest in Tae Kwon Do, Zack tried his best to teach him to dance a little, and later his friendship with Tommy spurred an interest in weight lifting. Slowly, he morphed from a gangly little science worm into someone the girls actually looked twice at. It was unfathomable and it was all because of his friendship with Trini.

All the while he had watched her and loved her, but never said a word. By the time they were teens he had put her on a pedestal so high he didn't dare confide the feelings in his heart. Besides, he knew the social order of things. He might have been acceptable to the in crowd, but he wasn't one of them. Being a Ranger helped, it bound them all together closer than family, but by the time he had found the courage to say something, she was gone.

The day she left had been the worst of his life. He was so proud of her for winning a place on the Youth Peace Council, but it also meant she would be leaving him. His heart had ached as she bounced around, packing and anticipating the trip. She had been a natural choice. She was fluent in three languages, a straight A student, and she genuinely cared about making life better for people.

He had paced the floor the entire night before she left, finally finding the courage to say how he felt, but when he walked to her house the next morning, he was mute. She had hugged him affectionately before climbing into the car and the door was closed before he could even utter a word. He'd had a few Christmas cards and he kept in touch with her mother, but it wasn't long before word drifted back that she had a boyfriend and was giddy in love. He'd been crushed, but he said nothing.

As his life with the Rangers continued, he put his childish obsessions behind him. Time simply went on, but he never forgot and when word reached him on Aquitar that she had married, he had sunk into a deep depression. Perhaps that was why he'd agreed to formalize things with Cestria. He simply didn't care at that point. His life was on Aquitar and he buried himself in his research.

He hadn't planned on going to the reunion. There was no one he wanted to see that he didn't already communicate with, but when he'd seen her confirmation online, he changed his mind. They had lost contact over the years and, even though she was long since married, it would be a decent excuse to renew ties. He'd been floored to learn about her upcoming divorce and for the first time in years began to have faith in the Great Power again.

There was nothing in his life he wanted more than to be with her. If he was going to be honest with himself, he hadn't exactly been excited by news of the baby, but he wanted her and he would do anything to be with her. However, the ambivalence he'd felt toward the pregnancy had long since changed. He wasn't exactly sure when that change occurred, possibly when he'd seen the images of the baby on the scanners or perhaps he'd simply come to believe what they'd told everyone else; she was his baby too.

They were going to be a family, something he'd long since given up on. He had no illusions though. He loved her more than anything else in the universe, but her love for him was a bit softer. She returned his affection, gave her love willingly, but it didn't consume her as it did him. She had no idea the depth of emotion he felt for her and the baby, and he doubted she'd ever understand, but that was alright with him. He was simply content to have her with him, to be allowed to love her. It was more than he'd ever thought possible.

She frowned and stirred a bit, possibly from the uncomfortable angle she was leaning at. As her eyes fluttered open, she smiled at him and he genuinely smiled back. She sat up and rubbed her neck, twisting it around to relieve a cramp.

"I can't believe I fell asleep." She said sheepishly

"You didn't get much rest last night." He said, smiling at her and she shook her head.

"What's up?" She asked, still trying to come fully awake.

"Shills called." He said and her face went pale.

"And…" She asked.

"It's over." He answered.

Trini's hand came up to her face and she burst into tears. He wasn't all that surprised by the outburst, she had been stressing over the divorce for weeks and with the tensions of the past weekend, she needed to let it go. He stood up and put his arms around her and she leaned into him.

"I'm sorry." She said, trying to stop the sobbing. "I'm happy, I really am."

"I know." He said gently, holding her a bit tighter. "Shills is on his way back with the documents. His train leaves in an hour for Geneva and then he'll catch the first flight back to New York."

Trini took a huge breath and forced herself to stop crying. This was a good thing; she needed it to be over. But feelings of failure still consumed her. She didn't want her ex back in her life, she wanted him as far away from her and her baby as possible, but that didn't change the fact that she had failed; she was divorced. She had tried to tell Billy how she felt, but she knew he didn't understand.

He was practical in his thinking. She had done nothing to drive her ex away; he had gone off on his own. He was the one having affairs; she'd been faithful. Therefore, he didn't deserve her and she was better off.

She understood what he was trying to say, and she was far happier with Billy than she'd ever been with Geirge, but that didn't stop her fears that maybe she was, in some way, responsible. No one was ever blameless. She had thought over and over what she could have done. She'd been inhibited in bed, so maybe that was why he'd looked elsewhere. She'd had problem after problem conceiving when children had meant everything to her ex, so he'd gone elsewhere. She'd bickered with him, spent too much money, didn't get along with his mother, was too thin… there was excuse after excuse, but she still didn't understand why it had happened and she didn't have a clue how to prevent it from happening again.

She looked up and gave Billy a small smile. "So when will he be back in the States?"

"Tomorrow." Billy answered, hugging her tightly again. "We'll go over to his office on Wednesday to pick up the paperwork and, if you want, we can straight to the courthouse the same afternoon."

"Ahhhh…" She said, swallowing hard. "Let me digest that the divorce is finally over for a second."

Billy kissed the top of her head. He understood, but he was eager to make things official. Once they applied for the license, they had ninety days, but he didn't want to wait that long. He'd waited his whole life, she was his now.

"So." He said, pulling the stool closer and sitting back down, but not completely releasing her. "I guess that means I can finally give you this." He reached into his pocket and pulled the out the ring he'd been carrying with him all day. Her eyes widened and the hand that still held his began to shake.

"Oh my god." She breathed. She'd been expecting a ring, she knew he'd gone with Kim to buy her one, but not the one he produced.

Kim had been vague, but had given her quite a few hints. She had admitted the stones were a good quality and it was incredibly beautiful, but also very Billy. They had giggled at the last statement, knowing Billy that could mean anything, but she knew he believed in living unpretentiously. The ring he produced was the biggest thing she'd ever seen. There was a huge round diamond in the center with two triangular diamonds off flaring off an each side.

"I told you I bought a ring." He said, amused at her reaction. He'd been too excited to keep it a secret. Besides, Trini hadn't been fooled for a moment with him going on a shopping trip with Kim just to buy her a simple present.

"Not one that big." She exclaimed and he chuckled. She was the one and only exception to his rules. He was going to make it his mission to spend the rest of his life spoiling her.

Billy stood up and immediately bent down on one knee. She giggled, feeling silly. She was hardly a little girl eagerly dreaming of a proposal and white wedding. They had already agreed to get married, she didn't need anything formal, but she let him go through the motions none the less. It was sweet, and he looked so earnest.

Billy took a deep breath. Oddly enough, he wasn't as nervous as he thought he'd be. He'd waited two decades for this. "I have loved you," He began, looking directly at her, "For twenty years. You were the first real friend I ever had. You have no idea how much it meant to me that you stayed by my side as we grew older. I was too shy and I could never tell you how much I valued you, how much I adored you, and then in an instant you were gone from my life." He cleared his throat as he watched the tears roll down her cheeks and then took a deep breath.

"I spent years without you and those years were, by far, the worst of my life. I was empty, absorbed in my work, and completely apathetic to the outside world." He thought about his years on Aquitar and how bitter he'd become and then he thought about the moment he'd seen her at the reunion.

"I don't know what I did for the Great Power to send you back to me, to get a second chance, but I refuse to waste it. I want you with me, every day, every night, every hour, for the rest of my life. I want to raise our family together, to build a life together, and I'd be honored and greatly privileged to call you my wife."

Trini didn't quite know what to say. She hadn't expected a formal proposal, let alone such endearing words. In the back of her mind, she thought she really ought to say something back to him, tell him how much she appreciated him, valued him, loved him, but the words wouldn't come. Her throat closed and heavier tears spilled down her cheeks. In the end she could only nod dumbly and, as he slipped the ring on her finger, she burst out into heavy sobs.

"Those are good tears right?" He asked. She nodded furiously and threw her arms around his neck, but still didn't speak. "I love you." He said, breathing in the smell of her hair and holding her tightly against him.

"I love you too." She sobbed and he smiled.

Pulling back a little, he leaned down and kissed her quickly, tasting the salt of the tears still pouring down her cheeks. He wiped them away gently, then, cupping her chin gently in his hand, leaned in for something a little deeper.

* * *

"I'm so sorry." Kim laughed as Charlotte scampered back up to the main house. "I told her to leave you alone. Unfortunately, Charlotte considers directions not to do something as cart blanche to sneak off and do it anyway." 

Tommy pulled himself out of the hammock and grinned at her. "For an old guy?" he asked, in mock offense. He reached out and pulled her to him. Smiling, she leaned in and pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and reveling for a second in the memory of the love they'd made a few hours earlier.

"Oh please, last year she called Justin Stewart old."

"In that case I'm ancient…" He said, taking advantage of her closeness to kiss her." But a second later his head came up. "Wait a minute, when did she meet Justin?"

"Long story." She said dismissively, but when he pulled back from her attempt to continue the kiss, she continued. "He was over at Ashley's when Carri was getting fitted for her awards gown last year and we volunteered him to babysit while we went on a fabric search for something else. I don't think he's ever forgiven us yet." Tommy raised an eyebrow and at his questioning look, she added, "Charlotte's a handful…even when she's behaving."

He grinned and would have kissed her then, but her head turned at the sound of her brother's voice "Mike's here." She said, and moved back a little as her brother's form came walking around the corner of the house, "I guess we should head back."

"You left your family alone up there?" He asked, concerned.

"It's fine." She said, turning back to him. "They're just on the front porch. Besides, the grid actually greeted me this morning." She had such a self satisfied look on her face that he chuckled. "I think it was happy to see a child running around…and besides, we only just got here. Mike's meeting us with the rough blueprints he's been making from my drawings and then we're going to breakfast; want to come?"

"Sure." He answered "When did you do drawings?"

"About two weeks ago when we decided to gut everything." She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him back up the hill towards the house.

"You didn't show them to me." He said, with what she could have sworn was a bit of a pout. She turned, walking backwards up the hill and grinned at him. "I didn't want you to laugh." She admitted. "Besides, I wanted to see how much was actually doable architecturally. No point in sharing ideas if it can't be done."

Tommy pulled her back towards him until she was up close again. "Anything you want is possible." He said softly as her brother continued to walk toward him. "We have much better technology on our side than your brother or anyone else does."

"I know that, and thank you for all you've done in that department to help, but we still needed official plumbing and electrical plans, if only to make the inspectors happy."

"True," He said, remembering the inspection process and his brother's warnings to be careful. "But you know I'll do anything for you."

Kim paused and met his eyes. "You already have." She said seriously and he looked at her curiously. The early morning sunlight lit her hair as their eyes locked and, just for a second, their empathic skills locked as well. For an instant, their minds met and emotions intertwined. She watched as all the masks he carefully wore throughout the day faded away and for one split second, it was just the two of them; like it had been when they were younger, without the cares and worries of the universe perpetually intruding.

Before she could say anything though, the mask on his face was back in place and her brother was next to her with a cheerful, if a bit teasing, greeting. She turned and hugged him eagerly. It had only been a few days since she'd seen him, but so much had happened to her since then.

"And where have you been all weekend?" He asked accusingly.

"With Tommy." She said simply.

"Oh my god." Michael said with genuine feeling, turning toward the other man present and extending his hand. "Tommy Oliver, I would have never recognized you."

"Mike." Tommy said, shaking his hand firmly. He doubted he would have recognized Kim's little brother either. The man was taller than he was and looked a great deal like their Uncle Steven had ten years ago.

"I told mom, when Kim said you were out here helping her with the house, you guys had to be together again, but then she up and goes out with Richard on Friday." He released Tommy's hand and turned to his sister. "What was up with that?"

"Richard?" Tommy asked, a hard look settling into his eyes.

"Coupon guy." She said blandly and the look softened as recognition dawned on him. He'd forgotten she'd had a date with another guy only three days ago. Since her recovery, they had simply merged together as if they'd never been separated. It seemed impossible that only three days ago there had been nothing more between them than a developing friendship.

"Coupon guy?" Michael asked.

"Long story." Kim said dismissively. "And it worked, he got jealous and admitted he still loved me."

"Ah…" her brother said knowingly and she winked at him for emphasis.

"So it's true?" he asked, turning back to Tommy. "You're actually going to marry my sister?"

"She told you?" Tommy responded and Michael nodded vigorously.

"Just about drove off the freeway on the way here." He laughed. "I don't think my coffee's ever going to come out of the carpet. Good god, talk about out of the blue. I was expecting her to admit you were dating again, not getting married."

"Mike asked me if I was pregnant." Kim added with a wry look.

"Shit, that had to have been the first thing out of mom's mouth too." Her brother countered. He leaned in conspiratorially. "How'd she take it?"

Kim paused, the look on her face clearly indicating things had not gone well. "Not as good as could be expected." She said, a slightly forced smile firmly in place. That was putting it mildly. Her mother had hugely over reacted and only stopped ranting because Andre insisted she was upsetting Charlotte. That was why they had come to the house first instead of eating breakfast together earlier. The tirade had lasted so long that Kim had insisted that Tommy would already be waiting for them and she couldn't leave him for hours in an empty house.

"Oh god." Michael returned with genuine feeling. "Well, what'd you expect?"

"It'll be fine," Kim countered. "Andre's on my side, he's going to work on her."

"So I should expect smiles and kisses?" Tommy asked, drawing her attention away from her brother.

Kim moved closer and cupped the side of his face with her hand, kissing him soundly she said, "You can expect her to be polite and socially acceptable."

"Jesus." Her brother swore. "You're doomed Tommy. Seriously, I wouldn't wish my mom as a mother in law to my worst enemy; even if she approved of that enemy. That's her golden baby, you're de-flowering."

"Hey," Kim hissed, turning and slapping her little brother across the chest. "Watch your mouth." She warned, finger pointing at him in emphasis. Then, in a much lower voice, she said "He got that part over with a long time ago."

Her brother laughed, even as they heard their mother's voice calling for them. They turned and Kim grabbed Tommy's hand again, pulling him up the hill to the front of the house. "Come on." She called.

"Time to face the judge." Her brother joked and she shot him a mean look.

* * *

Molly Williams Girard was not in a good mood. The nonstop flight from Paris had been a long one to take with an overly energetic eleven year old and they hadn't stopped in New York for a few days to visit friends and adjust to the time change like they usually did. Normally, she didn't feel anywhere near forty-eight years old, but this morning she felt like she was a hundred and forty-eight. Charlotte, oblivious as only a child could be, was up at first light and demanding an American hamburger. The thought made her absolutely nauseous and she wondered briefly if she had the flu. She hadn't been feeling well and Andre had wanted to postpone the trip, but she wouldn't hear of it. She was thrilled both her children were in one place for the holidays, but she was also very worried about her older daughter. 

As it turned out, her worries had been justified. The boyfriend was not only back, he'd firmly attached himself. The thought of her baby girl getting married to him was inconceivable. They'd only been around each other for three months and Kim had sworn up and down that they were only friends the whole time. Andre had sharply reminded her that they had only known each other a few weeks before deciding to marry, but that was a completely different affair. She'd been thirty-six, not twenty eight; and besides, she had been pregnant with Charlotte.

As a young girl, Molly had made a horrible mistake getting back together with her high school boyfriend after her first year away at college. It seemed so harmless. She still loved him, or thought she had, and spring break had been so fabulous. Garret was a charmer, she'd give him that. She'd been nineteen and it was the end of the seventies, nobody she knew was a virgin except her and she didn't want to return to college without that experience under her belt. It had been one god damn time. Just once before she packed her bags after a two week vacation before classes started up again. Neither of them had planned to stay together. They were both attending separate colleges, but it had been fun to be together again for the break and she was glad she'd given her virginity to someone she at least cared about.

But by the time finals rolled around, she was already feeling sick. When she hadn't stopped vomiting for several weeks, her roommate encouraged her to see the doctor, but Molly had been terrified and far too embarrassed. Finally her roommate snuck a home pregnancy test into the dorm. They were fairly new on the market and Molly had never seen anything like it, but she was grateful to be spared the trip into a medical office. It took the girls well over an hour to figure it out how to actually do the test and another two or three hours to actually believe it was positive. Mortified, she made an official appointment with a physician who later confirmed that the rabbit had really died.

The humiliation had been unbearable. Her mother had cried uncontrollably and her father had stormed up to _Heartland_ and demanded Curtis Hart's son marry his daughter. Garret had been dragged back from school by his ever lengthening hair and the two had been placed in front of the same minister who had baptized her. The man had been told she was pregnant and fortunately still agreed to marry them, but he had lectured them for hours on their morality and refused to let her wear a white dress. She couldn't even where white gloves, she'd had to wear her mother's blue suit. Her older sister Rose, who she had never gotten along with, was her maid of honor and Garret's younger brother Steven served as best man. She barely heard her vows, her mother and Garret's mother were sobbing so loudly. It had been awful and it was terrible foreshadowing of the disastrous marriage to follow.

Garret had tried at first. He hated construction, but it seemed the only job he could ever actually hold down was working for his father's company. He never did any hard drugs, that she knew of, but like most boys in the seventies, he spent a good deal of time stoned off his gourd. Her father had made it firmly known that she had been completely cut off financially, but to their credit, Garrett's dad built them a small house in a new neighborhood and her parents furnished it with everything they'd need for themselves and the baby.

It was obvious to everyone though that the only one taking on the responsibilities of marriage was her. Thank God for his trust fund and her mother funneling her spare money on the side or they would have been totally destitute. They were both children who knew nothing about what they had gotten themselves into, but whereas Molly squared her shoulders and did everything she could to get ready for the baby, Garret ran as fast as he could from responsibility.

At first, the sex had been incredible. For the first time in her life she could have it anytime she wanted and not be afraid being a bad girl. But when her pregnancy started showing, Garrett's interest waned. It wasn't long before he started coming home later and later and it wasn't that much longer after that when he didn't come at all.

When she'd gone into labor at four in the morning, he'd been stone drunk on the kitchen floor. Since her mother didn't know how to drive, and her father was away on business, she had called an ambulance and they'd come for her; picking Garret up off the floor and putting him in the seat next to the driver. Unfortunately, half way there, he began to come to and, thinking her was under arrest in a police car, he began to yell and scream and protest, nearly causing an accident. A policeman was waiting for them at the ER and as she and was wheeled into delivery, he was carried off on charges of assaulting the driver. And so, she'd delivered Kimberly alone with just the doctor and the nurses to calm her fears.

But her troubles were far from over that day. After more than twenty hours of labor, she had, with difficulty, given birth to not only one baby, but two. The births had been excruciatingly painful, even though both babies were very small. Kimberly herself was just under five pounds at birth and her sister had been even less. But where Kim had come out howling indignantly at the moon before the doctor could even slap her, the second twin never uttered a sound. They were able to get her breathing for a few seconds, and then she was gone.

In that day and age, it still wasn't rare to find that no one spoke of such things. The doctor had allowed her only the briefest look at the tiny blue baby and then she was wrapped up and taken away. The nurses were quick to hand her the feisty little spitfire that survived, telling her to focus on the living, and the other was quietly carried off. Her parents took charge for her then and had arranged for it to be quietly buried, but it was years before she could even go visit the grave. She had never seen the birth certificate, her father had taken it away so it wouldn't upset her, and the marker in the cemetery had simply been had Garret's last name, but Molly named her Valentine because both girls had been born just after midnight on Valentine's Day. Every February fourteenth after that had been a mixed blessing for Molly. She thrilled for Kim's growth each year, but she always silently remembered the other and wondered what she would have been doing as well.

It had been a long and hard birthing for a girl who had only turned twenty a few weeks before and the survival of one was hardly a consolation for the loss of the other. She fell into such a deep depression that the doctors kept her hospitalized for more than two weeks. Garret seldom visited and finally stumbled into her room the day of her release and took them home, but he was gone again a few hours later. It was years before he even knew the truth of what happened.

If the marriage had been dicey before the baby, it was horrific after. Kimberly was her joy and her total focus in life, but as a baby she rarely slept and had more energy than anyone knew what to do with. She had been a demanding infant, with little patience, and was prone to screaming if her needs weren't met quickly enough. It was a full two years before Molly had a full night's sleep again or had any semblance of a normal life. For a girl that had been brought up with nannies, maids, and a cook, the harsh reality of life on her own was devastating. She had to learn not only how to deal with and keep her husband's antics quiet, take care of a house, and raise her baby, but she also had to learn to live on a budget, balance a checkbook, and learn to pay bills. Fortunately, she had wonderful neighbors and a supportive community at church, but it didn't change the fact that she was way too young and inexperienced for the problems life had handed her.

There was a point in time where she had gathered all her strength and honestly tried to put her marriage together, but that only resulted in the birth of Michael four days before their fifth anniversary. Michael, however, was a mellow and carefree baby and, after having been whipped into shape by her daughter, life with two children was a lot more complicated, but not necessarily that much harder. Fortunately, Kimberly loved and was fascinated by her baby brother, which hadn't been the case between Molly and her own sister, and was eager to help with him in any way she could. Michael slept through the night at just three weeks of age and by six months was such a scheduled napper that Molly felt comfortable leaving the children with relatives and going back to school.

She studied hard after the kids were in bed, earning her business degree in three years, and quickly went to work as an assistant manager of a large Art Gallery. Although the eighties had opened the workplace for women, equal pay for equal hours was just non-existent and Molly found herself working twice as many hours for not nearly the salary that her male counterparts took home. The guilt imposed on her by others for leaving her children for hours on end with the family was also overwhelming at times, but Molly had no choice. Garrett would work only enough to keep his trust fund payments coming in and would generally spend every cent he could before she could get the bills paid. Finally, as Kimberly settled into junior high school and Michael into elementary, she found enough courage to quit her job and open her own small gallery with two of her best friends.

It was a struggle to keep things going in the beginning, especially with the money coming in sporadically. The urge to quit and go crawling back to her former employer had been overwhelming at times. Eventually, after the second year, they began to see a steady, if small, profit and through shear hard work, the business steadily grew after that.

Molly knew people and Molly knew art. She had a great talent for reading people and matching them with the artists they would identify with. That kind of talent couldn't be bought and by the end of the third year, her reputation was out among the California elite and business was thriving. That was the year that Garrett was slapped with a paternity suit by a local stripper and the year she finally called her marriage quits.

But Garret wasn't about to give up so easily. Kimberly and Michael each received gradually increasing payments from the trust fund their grandfather had set up for them. At that point in time, it was only a few hundred dollars a month, but Garret wanted that money. Having been disinherited in favor of his younger brother and his two children, and with his own trust payments being docked by the court for the support his three children, Garret turned around and sued for custody of his children by Molly and then filed a separate law suit against those same children trying to overturn his father's will and take possession of their trusts. The ensuing court battles had been horrendous, with both kids caught square in the middle. Molly argued that her husband was a deadbeat and Garrett argued that she had abandoned their children in favor of a career in business. In the end, Molly won custody, but the damage done to Kimberly and Michael would haunt them forever.

That was when the boyfriend had walked in. To make matters worse, his mother was the older sister of a seventeen year old girl Garrett had gotten pregnant when Kimberly was in four, the same year she had delivered Michael. The girl had had an abortion, but neither family had spoken to the other since.

Molly had been horrified and her first thought had been to forbid Kimberly to see him, but mindful of her daughter's willful personality, she had been very careful to remember she was a teenager and teenagers could be very rebellious. She had been polite and nice, but always reminded Kimberly that college came before boys. She had tried very hard to teach her children responsibility; what her own mother and Garret's parents had failed to teach them. They knew at a very early age how to handle money and be responsible and both knew they were expected to finish college and achieve a life of their own. Most important to Molly, they had also both known about sex and how to keep from getting pregnant. All that considered though, it had been extremely difficult to sit back and let her daughter make her own choices and the long haired boyfriend did nothing except remind her of her own poor decisions.

She admired her daughter's taste but, pretty as he was, he still scared Molly to death. His hair seemed to grow longer and longer, he didn't have just one earring, he had several, and the lust in his eyes when he looked at Kimberly was unbearable. It was all Molly could do at times to be nice to the boy. Fortunately, both of them were actively involved in competitive team sports and seemed to prefer to move in a pack, so Molly had crossed her fingers and sincerely hoped there was a little more safety in numbers.

Getting pregnant with Charlotte when she was thirty-six had been a hard slap in the face and more than a little de ja vu. A big part of her had wanted to end the pregnancy immediately, but another part remembered what it had been like to lose a child all those years ago and she was honestly torn. When genetics testing revealed the baby was normal, she quashed her fears and bowed to Andre's offer of marriage. She had quite a few qualms about marrying again, but Andre, a driven and successful artist and businessman, was hardly Garrett and she was head over heels in love with him. Leaving Kimberly behind while she and Michael moved to Paris had been crushing. She had put all her faith in the Campbell's, who she knew were strict parents, but she still woke up in cold sweats at night worrying about her daughter and the boyfriend she was attached at the hip to.

She had been thrilled when Gunter Schmitt had asked to move Kimberly to his training facility in Florida where she'd be totally focused on the Pan Games and live in an all girls dorm…and be three thousand miles away from Mr. Longhair. For the first time in her life since her parents had cut her off, she called her mother and begged for the money to pay Kim's room, board, and training. Fortunately, Kim's grandmother had been as excited as she was by the prospect of the world champion in the family and had easily agreed.

At that point, Molly had sat back and allowed herself a little breathing room. Sure enough, it didn't take very long before the long distance relationship had run its course and the boy was gone and her daughter solely focused on gymnastics.

Kim flourished in Florida and well beyond the Pan Games. She was proud of her daughter and, even though she'd made a few poor choices, she was thrilled by Kim's accomplishments and independence. But then word of the reunion came and Molly began to fret again for the first time in a decade. Despite her busy life, she knew her daughter was lonely. The Christmas before, Kim had begun reminiscing fondly about high school and by Easter she had learned through Michael that Kim had even gone so far as to dig up information on her first love. Her daughter had sworn up and down that she had no intention of going to go reunion and then the next thing Molly knew, Kim was moving back to Angel Grove and Mr. Longhair was back in the picture again…as just a friend…she swore.

Then Kim had gone out and bought Garrett's old family house and was bound and determined to renovate it. Of all the insane things her daughter had done in her life, this one took the cake; to top it all off, _he_ was helping her renovate it. _He_ had quit his job in Reefside and moved back to Angel Grove as well. What _he_ was doing for a job, Molly didn't know. For the last three weeks, every time she'd call, Kim would be with Tommy and all the old unsettling feelings had returned. They were spending every day together and Molly found herself going crazy.

Andre had told her to take a deep breath; after all, Kimberly was twenty-eight, not eighteen. But all Molly could think of was the spring break where she'd gotten pregnant and ruined her life. She fretted until she was certain that her first born was going to end up in the same boat. When her friend and business partner announced that she was going to Greece and the house would be empty, she had booked them all on the next day's flight out of Paris. Andre had begged her to reconsider. His work could be packed up and moved anywhere, but she wasn't feeling well and Charlotte would miss two entire months of school.

Molly didn't care, she'd gone to the American school that Charlotte attended and gotten special permission for them to travel, promising that she would hire a tutor and all of her daughter's work would be completed. Then she'd packed the family up and the next thing she knew, they were on a plane for California.

But she was too late. As it turned out, Kim had taken off for the weekend with the man she swore up and down she wasn't dating and on that same weekend away, the two had decided to get married. Molly was beyond depressed. Kimberly swore she wasn't pregnant, but at this point she was a little past the promises and the swearing. Now she was sitting on the dilapidated porch of her daughter's ramshackle monolith of a house waiting for her to bring _him_ back up the hill. Her head ached and her stomach rolled. The jet lag had made her dizzy and if Charlotte whined one more time about a greasy hamburger she wasn't sure if she'd scream or simply throw up.

As she heard her children's voices draw closer, she gave Andre a mournful look. He returned it with a look of his own that very clearly told her to behave. She loved him, otherwise she'd have smacked him.

"Mom," Kim said, as she turned the corner and approached the porch. "You remember Tommy."

Molly looked up, her best art gallery smile firmly in place, but the man before her didn't bare any semblance to the young boy she remembered, she realized with a start. She had expected the teenager, with his long hair blowing wildly around him. The man holding her daughter's hand was very different. He had grown up. The muscles she remembered, but the hair had shortened, the earrings were gone, and the shoulders and jaw had filled out. He moved with an authority that surprised her, as if he was used to being obeyed, and although he returned her hug affectionately, his eyes told her he was very ready to fight with her if necessary.

"Well, you two have certainly been busy." She said, releasing her brief hug and indicating the gutted first floor. "Both in the house and in other areas."

"We are thrilled for both of you." Andre said in a heavy French accent. He stepped forward and grabbed Tommy in a bear hug that caught the younger man completely off guard. Before he could react, Andre stepped back and kissed him loudly on both cheeks. "All of my life" Andre said animatedly, looking directly into Tommy's stunned face while Kim giggled. "I have wanted sons, but I never receive them. My first wife? She gave me three daughters, wonderful girls all, but no sons. You understand yes?" He said with a conspiratory look that was supposedly meant to be understood between the two men. When Tommy nodded he raced on. "Well then my Molly, she agrees to marry me and she brings with her Michael and I am thrilled beyond belief. But now," He turned, gesturing wildly with his hands, "My special, she has brought me home another boy!" He grabbed Kim in another bear hug and kissed her loudly on top of her head. He raised her left hand up and turned back to Tommy. "The ring is very pretty no? Kimmy, she says you designed this yourself? You are very talented."

"Coming from a famous artist, I'll take that as a compliment." Tommy said, smiling at his antics and realizing he was trying to diffuse an otherwise awkward moment between himself and Kim's mother. "But did she also tell you I designed that when we were sixteen and it's only temporary until I can buy her something more official?"

"Sixteen?" Andre said, overly impressed, "And you teach science not art? This is a travesty!"

"Stop." Kimberly warned, a very serious look on her face. But it was obvious to Tommy that there was a great deal of affection between Kim and her step father. He smiled to himself, glad she had found a loving father in her mother's second husband.

"You sure you're not pregnant?" Michael chimed in and Kimberly groaned as her mother's face noticeably paled.

"No, I'm not pregnant." She growled at her brother. "And watch your mouth around Charlotte." She said nodding over to where the girl was picking wild flowers on the other side of the porch.

"She's eleven, not seven." Michael drolled back "And knowing Char, she's already well informed."

"Children, enough." Andre said calmly, walking over to his wife and placing an arm around her. "Michael, you have pictures of this lovely house yes? Plans for her future?"

"Yep, right here," He said, walking over to where his Prius was parked. "I'm amazed how much of the demolition you've already done." He said absently, pulling a plastic tube out of the back seat. "The new road alone is a huge accomplishment. Who'd you get to do it?"

Kim shrugged and made a non-committal sound. "Tommy has a lot of friends." She said absently, thinking how easy it had been for them to borrow the right equipment from their _friends_. It was the first thing Tommy had done, before they'd even started on the inside of the house. They had transported the equipment to the site a little after two in the morning, just to make sure no prying eyes would be around to see them. The long gravel driveway connecting the old house to the main road had taken a little over an hour for Tommy to finish and she'd simply sat on the grass and watched him do all the work.

"You'll have to share names." Her brother said, opening the tube and removing the papers inside. "Uncle Steve and I can always use good and reliable contractors." He walked back over to the dilapidated porch and found a place where the railing had completely fallen off, giving him a makeshift table space. "Ok, here are the rough prints….and here are Kim's drawings." He said and Andre whistled appreciatively.

Andre had always been impressed with Kim's artwork. None of his three girls showed any inclination at all to draw or paint. Although Kimberly's style was very different from his own, he could still appreciate it. He had been frustrated by her decision not to study art in school, but he understood. It was a difficult life sometimes when the monies didn't come as quickly or as steadily as one would like, but he still encouraged her continue it on the side. Perhaps when she was older, the art would draw more of her attention.

Tommy was also impressed. He had somehow forgotten how well she could draw and the sketches of the house were beyond good. They were very realistic and looking at them, he had a clear vision for what she was trying to accomplish. The detail was astonishing; it was almost as if he was looking into a grey and white photograph. He was suddenly very proud of her and that thought made him feel a little sheepish. It wasn't really his place to be proud of her was it? Then again, she was going to marry him…if her mother didn't talk her out of it.

Looking up, he studied Molly carefully. Her mother didn't look good and Tommy sincerely doubted that it was the stress over her daughter's good news. His eyes looked up to see Kimberly staring at her mother and realized she was thinking the same thing. When their eyes met, he stood up straighter and walked over to her.

"They're nothing, just sketches." She demurred as the family continued to compliment her.

"They're awesome." He said, sliding his arm around her waist. "You never cease to amaze me, you know that?" Her face turned up to his with a smile and he resisted the urge to kiss her.

Molly didn't missed the exchange between the two. Her daughter seemed genuinely happy and, lord knew, Tommy was obviously as infatuated as ever with her. She prayed silently that she was wrong and maybe Kimberly could be happy with her old flame, but the unsettling feeling wouldn't leave her. There was something odd about that young man that simply eluded her. They did make a pretty pair, she mused, but pretty didn't pay the bills and if Tommy had quit his job, she wondered what he was living off of. At that thought, her stomach sank again and she made a firm mental note to bluntly ask her daughter just who was paying the expenses in that new house of his.

As the group ooed and ahed over Kim's sketches and Tommy and Michael broke into more serious construction talk, Michael asked a question that brought them all up short. "So are you guys actually going to live in this thing or are you just fixing it up on spec?"

A short silence followed in which Tommy and Kim simply stared at each other. They hadn't talked about where they'd live. Tommy had firm plans to haul himself back to Reefside when the current mission was done. That was why he'd bought such a small house to fix up and re-sell. Reefside was where he was based. He loved his little house on all his acreage, not to mention it had a kiss ass basement.

This house was a monolith. When it was finished, it was going to be well over four thousand square feet and he knew very well that Kim had dreamed of living here her whole life. He sighed and gave her slight smile. A Command Center was fairly easy to build, if you knew how, and he supposed one basement was as good as the next.

"This is Kim's dream." He said. "We'll put down roots here."

She smiled brightly at him and, forgetting their audience, stretched up and kissed him soundly.

"Does this mean you'll actually let me put my money into the project now?" He asked, referring back to an earlier argument they'd had. If he invested his money in it, they could be done quickly. If she refused and insisted on only using her accounts, they'd have to do the project in stages.

Kim's shoulders deflated a little at his comment and she made a slight noncommittal sound. This was her project and her house, if Tommy put his money in it, he'd have a much tighter claim. It was a trust issue. Kim didn't trust men; she'd learned that lesson the hard way with her father. She loved Tommy, and she did trust him to a point, but giving up part of her control over her home would be difficult.

"We can talk about it later." She said simply.

"So when is the big day planned?" Michael asked.

Kim hesitated, watching her mother's smile root itself firmly back in place. "We haven't figured it out yet, we only just decided yesterday."

"Ah, there is time then, you see Molly?" Andre said. "They are not rash teenagers, ready to elope in Los Vegas, they are adults. They will plan and we will all get to know one another again and be happy, this is very good yes?" he asked, squeezing her shoulder several times in assurance as he spoke.

"I was thinking about Memorial Day weekend." Tommy said plainly, also watching Kim's mother. She looked as if she was going to be physically sick. Was the idea of him marrying her daughter so repulsive? He was going to have to seriously consider how to make things better between them, but he honestly didn't know where to start.

"Why Memorial Day?" Kim asked, a slight frown on her face.

"Because my entire family on my mom's side is coming together for a reunion. Everyone's already committed to being in Angel Grove. Even my Uncle John will be there and mom says he's almost as impossible to pin down as I am."

Kim nodded and counted the months in her head, then looked up at Tommy as the realization dawned on her that Memorial Day was six months away. Six months, the time he'd supposedly compromised with her on. She'd been had. He'd known all along that was the weekend he wanted. He grinned at her unrepentantly, knowing what she was thinking.

"Six months is not a lot of time." Molly said uncertainly. "There's a lot to do for a wedding." Her stomach had lurched at Tommy's comment. His mother's family meant that her baby sister would probably be there too. The thought of Garret and that little tramp together again at her daughter's wedding was nauseating. She knew full well that the girl had only been seventeen, and under age, but she also knew it wasn't her first or last abortion. Molly and Tommy's mother had had several screaming matches over it at the time, especially when the girl had started following Garret around again afterward. She didn't know what eventually happened to the girl, but when Kim and Tommy had started dating ten years later, Tessa Oliver had been as upset as she was. "You can't even think in terms of less than a year to plan for this." She finished.

"Mom, nothing fancy." Kim said seriously, the last thing in the world she wanted was a big white wedding when she still had a house to renovate. Besides, she and Carri had groaned for years about being subjected to their mother's dream weddings and both had firmly resolved against it. "Very simple, just friends and family like Billy and Trini are planning."

"Kimberly," her mother began in a very motherly tone. The realization that her daughter really going to go through with this was one thing, but she wasn't about to let her run off and elope if she didn't have to. Molly had never gotten her dream wedding and had always resented it, she wasn't about to let her daughter get married in a stuffy blue suit like she was. No, Molly thought firmly, if Kimberly was going to insist on marrying that boy, then the least Molly and Andre could do for her daughter would be to throw a memorable wedding.

Squaring her shoulders, she dug in. "The Williams will have at least fifty or sixty people that have to be invited or you'll insult them and the Harts will have another fifty or more. That doesn't include all of Andre's family and your step sisters and their families or even Tommy's family and your friends. This is a big deal honey. There are a lot of family members who played a big role in helping you grow up and many more people that came through financially for us when you were little and later for gymnastics training when you were getting ready for the Pan Games. You're a famous person, and quite a few people feel they contributed to that, you just can't exclude them without them being offended."

"I'm hardly famous anymore." Kim argued lamely. She knew this was coming. A big huge wedding had been a wonderful dream when she was sixteen, but now it just seemed like a spectacle. Besides, there was going to be an out and out cat fight between her girlfriends for the maid of honor position and she didn't even want to think about how her dad would react if she snubbed him and asked Andre to walk her down the aisle. This was precisely what she had wanted to avoid. But her mother wasn't about to budge either.

"You're a Pan Global gymnastic champion and your television show is still aired on cable and all over Europe." Her mother insisted. "Even if you don't think you're famous in the outside world, you're still famous inside and among the family. I'm telling you right now there will be a lot of hurt feelings and grumblings if you start excluding people. Do you honestly want to contribute to the turmoil among the relatives?"

Kimberly groaned, thinking of the complicated interpersonal battles going on both among the Harts and the Williams. Someone was always feeling slighted or angry at someone. That was the problem with being part of two very old and established families, you got caught up in all the rivalries and bickering that had gone on for decades that had nothing to do with you. You also had obligations. Her mom was right. She either had to elope, just her and Tommy, or it was going to have to be one hell of a huge wedding. There was no middle ground. If Tommy wanted Memorial weekend because his whole family would be there, then she was going to be forced to invite her entire family as well. Her whole entire family. Her stomach lurched and her head suddenly ached.

"First you have to find a venue that will hold the numbers we're talking about, a caterer, a band, florist…and you'll need to make sure the church is free."

"Church?" Kim asked, her head snapping up. "Who said anything about a church? I was thinking what Billy and Trini are going to do; a justice of the peace and the parents."

Molly crossed her arms in front of her and breathed deeply. "Kimberly… sweetheart, this is a big deal. There are obligations. You can't just go off and…"

"I think, perhaps, there is time to talk of this later no?" Andre interrupted. He knew very well where this was leading. Molly was bound and determined that her daughter wouldn't be short changed and disappointed with her wedding like she was; whether Kimberly wanted it or not. "But this is good. See? We are making the plans already and coming together, yes?"

Molly stopped and clamped her lips shut. Well, it wasn't like she could do anything about her daughter's choice now. It was already done, she was going to marry him, but Kim needed to know she wasn't going to put up with her simply running off either. This was a serious matter and she needed to start treating it seriously.

"I'm hungry." Charlotte whined, stomping up to the adults.

"Yes, yes poppet," Andre said. "We have promised you we will go to breakfast and we shall. If we are all ready?" He asked, looking around at everyone.

"I think we should take separate cars." Michael said. "I have to get back to the office soon, I've got a big client coming over at noon and I need to be ready for her."

The adults in the group nodded and Kim's drawings and the blueprints were put back in Michael's carrying tube. Deciding on the best restaurant that would serve both a decent breakfast and Charlotte's promised hamburger, they separated and each moved toward their different cars.

Molly studied her daughter's fiancé through the windshield as they climbed into his Jeep. There was something about him that she couldn't put her finger on. Molly knew people, she knew how to study them, define their tastes and attitudes. He moved with a fluidness she didn't remember, certainly not like a paleontologist who buried himself in books or in a pit of dirt. He had a command to him, a surety that hadn't been there ten years ago. Molly would bet anything he was a military man. Despite his casual nonchalance, this was a man who was used to giving orders and to being obeyed… and not by students. One thing was certain, whatever it was he really did, he was no scientist and he was certainly no high school teacher.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Rita fretted. "The claybots aren't fully charged yet." 

"I am the one who decides where and when I will attack." Zedd said impatiently. It was true, he admitted, he had rushed production of the claybots and they were not yet at full power. They would be at a huge disadvantage, but he was impatient to use the monster he had chosen. Besides, he had to press his advantage before the Ranges had too much time to recover. Hopefully, they were still licking their wounds and wouldn't be at full power either. If he'd been able, he would have attacked again immediately, but the claybots took at least forty-eight to seventy-two hours to create and Teeg hadn't left him with much equipment to work with. "Sirius! Finish your preparations and get that monster ready, it's nearly time to attack."

Rita fumed. She hadn't been able to locate her predecessor yet and wasn't at her full potential. If Zedd attacked now, and actually won, she'd never get his full attention. She slipped back, un-noticed in the shadows. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she was going to make damn sure Zedd and Sirius didn't get very far until she was ready to play her own hand.

* * *

Fortunately, breakfast had been over for several minutes before the communicators went off. Kim's mother raised an eyebrow at the dual chimes, but said nothing as the pair excused themselves and promised to get together with the family later. Her brother made a comment about de ja vu back to the last time the two had dated and would always run off to answer a page, but Kim ignored him as her communicator chimed again and they made a calm, but hasty exit. 

Monster number five-fourteen was a perverted cross between a star fish and a tropical flower. It sent out star like energy bursts that exploded with a bad sting, leaving an overwhelming order of cheap perfume, but not really doing much damage physically. Adding to the strangeness, with few viratrons present, the claybots appeared confused and just weren't as strong as they had been. The attack, from start to finish, was poorly organized and was obviously some sort of an attempt by Zedd to test the Rangers strength after the last large battle rather than to seriously crush them outright.

There were many odd pauses during the fight where one or more of the Rangers simply stood to one side and watched the others get a little practice time in. It was odd, and confusing, but none of them were complaining. The team was all still bruised and tired from the events of the past weekend and no one was really up to another major battle just yet.

It was during this time that Karone stepped back left the fight. She teleported back a few minutes later and hung a large sheet from a low hanging branch of a tree. Kim's heart sank as she recognized the _Alien Go Home_ sign that had hung outside Andros's door when his home had been burned down. The sheet was supposedly locked away as evidence by the police and Kim didn't even want to think about how she'd gotten her hands on it. Leaving the fight, she walked over to where Karone stood, fully morphed in her yellow Zeo uniform, with her arms crossed in silent protest.

"What's going on?' She asked.

"Giving the camera's something better to shoot than a pathetic little fist fight that one Ranger could tackle let alone five."

"Karone…" Kim began, but the other woman cut her off.

"It's time this planet stopped taking the Rangers for granted. There are thousands of worlds that would give their eyes and teeth to have just one Ranger come defend them, this world has hosted how many teams? If the people of this planet are going to attack my brother and his family then they need to know what every other villain in the galaxy does; you take on one Ranger, you take us all on. If they want us off the planet, then they can just fight Zedd and Rita and every other would be conqueror themselves."

"You aren't honestly going to refuse to fight are you?" Kim asked. They had taken oaths as Rangers, those oaths couldn't be ignored. Karone made an undetermined sound behind her helmet.

"No, I'll fight if I'm needed, but this skirmish is pathetic, by anyone's standards. I'm not necessary right now, but the cameras are still rolling."

Kim thought about what Karone said as she watched at least half a dozen camera crews and photographers regroup and shuffle around so they could get a better shot at the little protest the Ranger girls were doing. Then she looked over in the other direction towards the boys. There were only about a dozen claybots left and the guys were quickly disposing of them. The monster was still shooting out stars, making a nice fireworks display with a lot of smoke, but it was probably the least serious battle they'd encountered yet. Probably, she mused silently to herself, the easiest monster she'd ever fought in her entire career.

She understood Karone's angst. It was her brother and sister in law that had been burned out of their home. She liked Andros and Ashley and had been seriously concerned about what had happened. All the Rangers were concerned.

She agreed with Karone, to a point. Alien or not, Andros had risked his life for Earth and many other planets; he deserved better. There was something to her argument that people needed to remember the Rangers presence was a privilege and not a God given right. Tommy was going to give her more than a little hell over this one, she thought, as she stepped over to the other edge of the sheet and crossed her arms in a similar position to Karone. As the boys obliviously finished off the last of the claybots and the monster ran for cover, the cameras went wild over the two girl Rangers who stood in silent protest and refused to fight.

* * *

Rocky was more than a little concerned as he made his way back to the small room he shared with Carri. The Aquitians had offered him his own space, but when he declined, they transferred the two humans into another room with a larger sleeping pallet. It wasn't Carri's queen size bed back at the condo, and the thin plastic pad was murder on his back, but it served its purpose and they were together. 

He had left her about an hour ago to discuss her treatment with Cestro and to briefly call home and report. Things weren't going well and he was very worried. The skin grafting was going perfectly, even better than they had anticipated, but other than to remove the aluminum tainted scar tissue, that was just cosmetic. The chelating process to remove the metal toxins had hit a huge snag. Each time she was placed in a tank with the special water from the Eternal Falls, her Ninjetti powers would kick into overdrive. Cestria wasn't sure what the problem was. She had given an explanation that seemed to make sense to Cestro, but he honestly didn't have a clue. Something about the charge in the water, and the charge in the toxins, and the charge of her Ninjetti signature not reacting well to one another. It was baffling, but Rocky had left Cestro talking to Billy and he was sure between the two of them they would find an answer.

The news from home was just as baffling as the procedures he was watching here. Kim had been captured and almost died, which had rocked the team, but then Tommy had apparently had some sort of epiphany while rescuing her and now they were moving in together. He shook his head, trying to figure how that had happened. True, the two had been constant companions since she had bought her grandfather's house, but they had bickered constantly since becoming Rangers again. Adam had also been seriously hurt, which he felt horribly guilty about, but the most recent news was that someone had blown up Andros's house, nearly killing the family. All of this had apparently happened from the time he left on Saturday afternoon and, although he was as time disoriented as Carri, it was only Monday afternoon in Angel Grove. He decided he wouldn't share his news with Carri, she had all she could handle right now; and so did he. He was beyond worried about her.

He opened the door to their tiny room, grateful to have some quite moments alone with her. He wasn't sure how she did it. They never let her rest for more than a few hours at a time before hauling her out to another procedure. He silently hoped that, now that she wasn't receiving the chelating procedures anymore, maybe they'd let her sleep a little longer. Sleep deprivation was hard on the human body and he'd told Cestro as much. He knew that he was sleep deprived and he wasn't the one going through all the painful grafting. The Aquitian had frowned, noting that Billy had no such difficulties during his tenure, but he promised to try and allow Carri a bit more time between procedures if it was possible.

Carri was lying on her side on the sleeping platform, which he took as a good sign. The last break they'd had she was far too sore to lie on her side. He hoped that maybe she was taking a turn for the better, but even as he thought it, she stirred and moaned.

"Are you all right?" He asked, sitting on the sleeping platform next to her and stroking her hair.

"I'm tired." She answered softly, not looking at him.

"I know babe, just hang in there a little longer."

"And then what?" She asked, rolling over to face him. "I go through the skin treatments only to die a slow death from metal poisoning?"

"That's not what Cestro said." Rocky replied. "The toxins aren't poisoning your system, they're just…."

"No, they're just taking over and mutating the cells." She interrupted.

"Cestro's talking to Billy now, if anyone can figure this out, he can."

"Yeah." Carri mumbled, rolling over again. She was just so damn tired. Everything hurt and throbbed and ached and she was only eighty hours into the process. Just another three hundred and fifteen more dunkings to go, she told herself glumly.

* * *

Kim was shocked by the crowd of people outside the conference room of the Red Assembly, but that was nothing compared to the crowd inside. Unlike the last session she attended, this was a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting that had been planned for some time, however the news about Andros had spread fast and had apparently drawn some large numbers. The conference room itself was a tiny one, but that was because the Assembly rarely saw more than a dozen members at any given time. It could seat as many as thirty, but only if everyone sat uncomfortably elbow to elbow and pressed against the walls. There was nearly twice that number mulling inside and outside of the room now. 

Technically, the Assembly was open to any Ranger who wanted to attend and not just the Reds, but most didn't come unless they had a reason to. It was kept informally open so that the other team members could have a forum to go to if they needed help and there were also many times that the Reds just couldn't come themselves and would tap a former team mate to step in and represent them. This felt as if every Ranger, from every team, had traveled to level eight.

News footage of Andros's home in flames and the pink and yellow Zeo Ranger's refusal to fight that afternoon had played on all the cable news channels all day long and reports were coming in that they had made the world news as well. Tommy had pulled both Kim and Karone aside and lectured them until his voice had begun to fail. She had never seen him that angry with her, but both girls had been unrepentant and faced his wrath together. In the end, she had stepped up to him and said she appreciated his point of view, but they remained firmly resolved to theirs. She had stood up on tiptoe and kissed him, which he obviously hadn't been expecting, and then she and Karone had simply left the room.

There were far more faces in the Assembly room and hall than Kim recognized, so it was a good bet that not everyone here was a retired or uniformed Ranger, but why they'd be here or how they'd get into level eight, she had no idea. She knew that Tommy had asked two of his former students, who worked at a network news station in Reefside, to attend the meeting, but as far as she knew, the two had been escorted down to level eight blindfolded and were being held in a waiting room. Who these other people were was baffling.

"What a fucking disaster." Jason growled, coming up behind her. "There's no way in hell all these people are uniforms." He put his arm around her shoulder, half in support for her because he knew Tommy'd been yelling at her and half for himself because he hated crowds and she was about the only thing present that could calm his powers down when they went into overdrive.

"How big is the contingent from Lightspeed?" She asked, leaning into him and thinking about what Tommy had shared with her yesterday about the refugee city project they were scheduled to discuss. Captain Mitchell was supposedly bringing in a team to discuss the proposal, but she had no idea how big that group was. She was pushed into him by another wave of people trying to get through the door and he physically picked her up and pulled her aside so they could move past her.

"Like I would know?" He asked. "Go ask Carter… if you can find him."

"How is it possible that this many people have level eight clearance?"

"They don't. Billy's going insane upstairs at the main entrance trying to keep spying eyes away from the masses and still confirm identities. Basically as long as there's a uniformed red vouching for them, they're being transported directly into this hallway in groups. We've got force fields closing off the rest of eight and all the Zeos are going to have to help do security scans for electronic devices and cross matching id's before anyone gets out again."

"Good lord." She muttered.

Tommy found her then, wrapping his arm around her waist protectively and pulling her forward into the room with him. When she turned, Jason had disappeared into the throng, so apparently he wasn't going to follow them. She knew he hated crowds, it made his powers go crazy and he became unbearably agitated. She couldn't blame him, she didn't like crowds much either, powers or no. She was only five foot two and being surrounding by crowds of much taller people got old after a while.

She tripped and stumbled as Tommy pulled her past them, but he kept her upright and steadily moving forward. "Are we talking again now?" She asked him. She didn't like that he was angry with her and sincerely hoped he'd had a chance to calm down a little.

"Did we stop talking to each other?" He asked, more than a little edge in his voice.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked more directly and he stopped and caught her eyes.

"I love you, but I don't love what you two did this afternoon; end of subject." He said, and she nodded.

"What do we do with all these people?" she asked loudly above the rumble of conversations.

"We change gears and move them." He said, the irritation clear in his voice, pulling her along with him again. She tried to get a good look at his face as they pressed through the crowd, but it was impossible. The room was completely packed. He pulled her up on the podium with him and clicked a small device in his hand which gave out a blaring sound like an air horn. There was a loud start as everyone jumped at the noise, and then the room and hallway quieted.

"There are far more people in here than Earth has Rangers." Tommy said in a stern, authoritative voice. "I appreciate the concern for recent events, and I don't doubt anyone's connections. However, the Reds have far more to discuss in this meeting than just the recent events concerning Andros." There was a loud murmur, but at Tommy's glare it quickly died away. "I want all non Reds out of this meeting room. You can wait in the main lounge area." The protests again began to grow louder, but they silenced quickly when Tommy pressed the sound maker again. "If you will allow me to finish…" Tommy said more icily than she'd ever heard him. The crowd picked up on his tone too and the rumblings came to a quick halt. "After the Assembly, the Reds will join you in the lounge area and we will discuss the topic that has brought all of you here. File out." Tommy said, waving his hand in the direction of the door.

So with that, the majority of people filed out of the room and followed Trini and Dr. Manx down to the garden and fountain area where chairs had been set up for them. With the quiet restored, Tommy took a head count, noticing as he did so that Emperor Trey of Triforia and Master Kanoi Watanabe and his son had decided to stay. He nodded to each of them, both in greeting and silent affirmation that he didn't mind them remaining.

"Alright," He said, as Andros made his way up to the front. "We're missing a few and we have some new faces." He looked around the room until he spied the face he was looking for. "Wes, is your father here?"

"He left with the others."

"Go back and get him, quietly, I don't want any grumblings in that crowd. He's been specifically invited tonight." As he scanned the section by the door, he motioned for Captain William Mitchell and his aides to come back in and retake their seats. Not seeing the last face he wanted, he scanned the room again for a young face he'd only seen pictures of. When he found it, he pointed to the boy, "You're Mack Hartford?" the boy nodded. "Your father's here?"

"Yeah…um, yes sir." He nodded.

"Go get him and come back in." Tommy directed, and the boy immediately stood and left the room. Tommy took another count, noticing Jason had returned and was on the podium area.

"Why's your pink staying? Eric asked as he passed by and Tommy turned to see Kim in deep conversation with two new faces. The younger one he recognized, the older man hugging Kim he didn't.

"She's Zeo's pink." He said absently, frowning at the three who were talking animatedly with their heads together, "But she's also a Ninjetti Red."

Eric's eyebrow rose a bit, but Tommy had already turned and begun walking over to the trio, effectively cutting off the conversation with him. Kim turned and smiled as he approached. "I didn't know you invited the Mystic Mother's Rangers to the Assembly." She said. Tommy fought the urge to frown, he'd invited the Mystic Red to the last meeting, but the boy had a conflict and promised to attend the next one. He should have realized that the Mystic Rangers would be tied to the Mystic Mother somehow, but that connection hadn't dawned on him until she said it. Now that he thought about it, the Mystic Rangers were based in Briarwood; which was where he'd found the old Zedd…Edward, he corrected himself.

"All Rangers are welcome." He said simply. "You must be Nick." The boy nodded and clasped his hand. Then Tommy turned to the older man with his arm around Kimberly. "But I don't believe we've had the pleasure of being introduced.

"Ah," said Kimberly in a voice that was a bit too perky for his taste, she had a comfortable camaraderie with the man, and Tommy noticed he returned that level of relaxed friendship. Obviously, the two knew each other well and the jealously that bubbled up in him was no laughing matter. "That's simple enough. Tommy Oliver, legend and greatest Ranger of the surface world, this is Leanbow, legend and greatest Ranger of the Mystic realm."

"She exaggerates." Leanbow said uncomfortably, extending his hand to Tommy in the same greeting his son had given him. He hadn't missed the possessive look in the younger man's eyes and mused silently to himself over it. He'd have much to tell his wife about when he returned to Briarwood, and not just about the Assembly.

"Yes she does." Tommy agreed, returning the handshake. He released the older man's hand and turned to Kim who just giggled. His previous anger forgotten, he gave her a look that said they would definitely be speaking about her friends later. "If you're ready to start?" He asked. Kim nodded and excused herself, promising to talk with them again later.

As they approached the podium, she squeezed his hand tightly and he turned around to look at her. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear and kissed the side of his cheek quickly.

"For what?"

"For recognizing them."

"The Assembly recognizes all Rangers, from all teams."

"I know, but the Mystic Rangers are connected to the Mystic Realm…and to Mystic Mother."

Tommy regarded her quietly for a moment, fingers still clasped in hers and oblivious to the double takes and stares the pair was drawing from the others. In truth, he hadn't known. He should have known, he admonished himself, but he hadn't made the association.

"What's your connection to Mystic Force?" he asked. She cocked her head to one side and gave him a curious look.

"You read my diaries." She replied evenly. There was a spark in her eyes that told him she may have forgiven him for that breech of etiquette, but she was still pissed. He dismissed it, hoping fervently they weren't going to resume their tendency to bicker. He was well aware that he was going to hear about those diaries for the rest of his life; better to get over the guilt as quickly as possible and ignore the chiding.

"All I read was that you took Rita back in time about twenty years, I didn't know you stayed involved."

"Which means you didn't read the silver tube."

"No, not yet."

"What'd you mean not yet?" She said, her tone playful, but the annoyance still there. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Not yet, but you can bet I'm going to now." He said, turning and pulling her up on the podium next to him. She squeezed his hand tightly, indicating the conversation wasn't over, but for now the room's attention was focused on him and she could say nothing.

The better part of the next half hour was spent introducing everyone. Most of the Rangers were well known to the Assembly, but there were also quite a few new faces. Tommy took the lead and introduced Master Watanabe, Andrew Hartford, and Wes's father, Mr. Collins, first and then Andros stood and introduced the new Red Astro Ranger from KO-34. Emperor Trey introduced both the new Reds from Triforia and Aquitar and there was another new Ranger from Edenoi who had come as an emissary from Dex. As the Mystic Reds introduced themselves, Jason turned and gave Kim an interesting look, but Tommy didn't have time to speculate as Hartford's son, the new Red from the Overdrive team, stood up. When the introductions of the new faces were complete, each of the veteran Assembly members took turns quickly introducing themselves and then, finally, they were ready to begin meeting in earnest.

For another hour after that, the Assembly went back and forth with KO-34 crying outrage for the attack on a former Kaoan Ranger and Triforia, Edenoi, and Aquitar standing up for him. The last thing Tommy wanted was to get into a heated intergalactic political discussion, but once outrage was cried, it had to be appeased. Even though it really wasn't political in nature, the Assembly was the only intergalactic forum on Earth, so Tommy sat back and let the others have their say. The process was grueling though and it was well into the second hour before tempers cooled and he was able to re-direct them to the issues he wanted.

Kim was bored beyond belief and from the looks on the faces of the Assembly in front of her, so were most of the Reds. It wasn't until Leo Corbett of Mirinoi stood up to report on the latest catastrophe regarding General Gruumm that she actually sat a little straighter and paid attention. Gruumm had recently used a weapon that redefined the term "mass destruction." When the planet _**Alandia **_had failed to surrender, he had simply destroyed it. Billions of lives had been lost. Many planets were now not even resisting and simply accepted subjectivity without a fight. The General was now calling himself Emperor Gruumm and had turned his sites on the core worlds.

Millions of refugees on the outskirts were fleeing and the question of where to put them was growing more serious. Mirinoi had agreed to take several hundred thousand and KO-34 had recently relinquished its claim to KO-35, effectively opening it up to non-Kaoan colonization, but billions were scattered and it was only going to get worse as time went on.

How to stop Gruumm became the topic of consideration for nearly an hour. All agreed they had to unite the Rangers, but exactly how to do it and who would be re-assigned where was still debated when the conversation came full circle and Tommy re-directed the topic again. At that time, Captain Mitchell stood up and his assistants assembled the displays and projector they had brought with them.

As Tommy sat down next to Kim, he looked overly tired and more than a little concerned. She had the sinking feeling that neither of them would get much rest in the coming years. She had always known that she would be pulled off planet again in the near future as the conflict with Teeg accelerated, which was why she'd been so reluctant to discuss children with him the previous night, but now she had the sinking and terrifying feeling that Tommy would soon be pulled off world too. She wondered briefly how long they had together in the relatively minor conflict with the new Rita and Lord Zedd and how long they'd be separated, each to his or her own duties.

Kim watched as the three dimensional holograms of the refugee city they were proposing rotated three hundred and sixty degrees in front of the podium. It was an ambitious project and Kim suddenly realized why Mr. Collins and Mr. Hartford were present. Although civilians, not only were they loyal insiders, they were both extraordinarily wealthy and they were both in the position to help finance and use their vast connections to get the city built. She marveled at Tommy. By bringing them into the Assembly, where all the Rangers were unmasked, he had given them access to a power and privilege they would normally have been excluded from. Now he was giving them a chance she doubted either of them could resist; to be in on the ground floor of a new society that would be a gateway to the rest of the galaxy and would have all the latest technology that the core worlds had to offer.

She watched Collins as the Lightspeed team began to explain the proposed business and industrial section and could swear the man practically frothed at the mouth. Hartford was far more reserved, but his eyes began to shimmer as they outlined the plans for the research and cultural facilities. Kim looked at Tommy and saw him watching the men too. She wondered briefly if he had written the speeches himself or if he'd simply outlined it to cater to the two visitors.

What caught the Rangers attention, both local and intergalactic, was the proposed Academy; a place where all Rangers could go to study or collaborate. There were other Academies throughout the galaxy, but none that were open to everyone. All of them focused solely on the needs of their own cultures and were firmly closed off to outsiders. This would be an open facility, embracing many styles of learning, to share information and unite the Rangers under one roof. It was as radical an idea as Tommy's Red Assembly, but on a much grander scale.

As Captain Mitchell wound up the questions and his assistants took down their displays, Tommy once again brought up the topic of Andros's home and Karone and Kim's refusal to fight. At first, she could have kicked him, that topic had been beaten to death already and there was still the general meeting with the other Rangers in the common areas. Then she saw the two young visitors from the media who had been ushered in as Mitchell was starting and realized Tommy had something else in mind. These two hadn't been present for the intergalactic discussion and he apparently needed to get another point across.

"If the Rangers aren't safe here on Earth," Tommy was saying to the group, "Then the refugees inhabiting this city won't be safe either. We need to begin a massive information campaign utilizing our connections with the media. The general population needs to become far more comfortable with the idea that there are more than one kind of sentient species out there and that it's not necessarily a bad thing to integrate our society. People are afraid of what they don't know. Earth will never merge successfully into intergalactic community if it stays ignorant and isolated."

Tommy then outlined a decade long media awareness project aimed, not only at making the general population of Earth more comfortable with the idea of the intergalactic community, but also an educational program that would prepare the next generation for a fast jump into that mainstream society. This program would start with a human face relating Ranger information to the media instead of the current system of responding by computer. A go-between staff would then develop, going into the schools and other areas, and finally the Reds, coming forward in uniform, would let the public get to know the Rangers personally; as normal people.

Kim realized what he was doing. He was fast tracking Earth into acceptance into the federation, whether they liked it or not. On the surface, it made sense. Use the simplistic example of ignorance breeding violence to raise awareness and later continue to feed the public's fascination with the Rangers while educating them at the same time. She wasn't entirely sure it would work, and by the looks on the faces of the Assembly, most of those present weren't sure either, but the two young representatives of the press seemed very eager.

"I know coming forward in the public this goes against every cardinal rule we've all been taught, but let me make one thing very clear." Tommy continued. "I am not suggesting we give up our identities. Even Zordon allowed the Mighty Morphins to go on camera and be interviewed as long as they were uniformed. This is really not a new concept, it's just taking it to a bigger level. Once the public realizes that the Rangers are people, just like them, and can identify with them, then they will be able to make the connection that the intergalactic community, where the Rangers come from, is also made up of people just like them." He paused and then made his point very clearly. "Reaching out to the people, letting the community get to know us, personally, is the best way to protect ourselves and eventually the refugees who are coming to our world." He paused again and then made his final comment. "I realize that this is a radical idea for many of us, but we need to educate them before the issue of what happened to Andros grows worse."

"But you want us to expose ourselves to that hostility?" Shane Clarke asked.

"No." Tommy said firmly. "Again, I want the Rangers to stay masked and in uniform, but also get out and let the public know a personal side to them. We do it slowly over the next couple of years, and it's not just the Reds who will be getting out there. "The other colors who can still morph can start communicating with the community as well."

"I say we forget about putting the Reds in the forefront and start with the pink and yellow who protested this afternoon." Jason piped up. Tommy turned to him with a frown, but he added, "Seriously, the press is all over them at the moment, and Kim already knows how to handle press interviews, let the girls have first crack at the media stuff."

"There are also a few of us who are already well known in our communities; in and out of uniform." Carter added and Tommy turned nodded. "Then those of you who feel comfortable can eventually move forward and let your stories be heard unmasked, but again, it will be done in a controlled manner. No one goes off half cocked and does personal appearances without coordinating it with the Assembly leaders. The idea is to get people comfortable with us and assuage fears of the unknown, not to do publicity stunts."

"And who protects our families while this is all going on." Andros asked. He felt the idea was insane. Going out in the media was only going to draw more attention to them, not make them safer. Masked or not, all it would accomplish is getting the other Rangers targeted like he was.

"We've already considered that." Tommy said. "Billy and I have had several conversations on the need for a safe and private community for those of us with families and children. Something available to us on a faster timeline than the city. I'll be happy to share those conversations with anyone who's interested at a later time."

Tommy walked over to his visitors and motioned for the girl to stand. "This is Cassidy Cornell. She's one of my former students and an insider on the Dino Thunder team. She's also a television reporter for a major network. Right now she just does local news, but we plan to work with her exclusively to get our message out. I want all of you to remember her name and her face."

Cassidy beamed and waved at the assembly and Kim rolled her eyes and wondered if Tommy knew what he was doing. "Our goal is to have stories of the Rangers linked into the information campaign on the new city over the next ten years. To personalize this so that by the time the city opens for immigration in 2017, people are as excited about it as they were about Terra Venture."

Tommy motioned for the girl to sit down and walked back up to the podium. "Alright, the floor is now open for questions and comments."

* * *

Later that evening Tommy sank gratefully into the overstuffed cushions of the small couch in his tiny living room. His head ached from the long day, but halfway home he realized Kim was sitting quietly next to him in the Jeep and he'd have her all to himself for the next few hours. 

The Assembly had ended well, even though he still wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. The second meeting had also taken well over an hour to finish with and he was exhausted by the time the last of the security sweeps had been completed and they were done for the afternoon.

The Zeos and Andros's family had eaten an early dinner together in the little cafeteria area and then they had continued to simply hang out with one another for a few hours and decompress, which had been nice. The atmosphere had been much lighter and Trini showed off her ring and she and Billy discussed their wedding plans. It was to be a small and simple affair at the courthouse. The team was welcome, but other than that, only family would be attending. Billy looked the most excited he'd ever seen him and Tommy was a bit envious. He understood that he and Kim should have a little more time to adjust to one another, but part of him wanted to entice her to elope with him on the same day.

"Did you tell Jason about our engagement?" He asked from the couch and she made and affirmative sound as she dug through the refrigerator. His nine hundred square foot, nineteen-twenties style bungalow was old and compartmentalized, so he couldn't see her, but he could still hear her. "I figured. He didn't say anything to me," Tommy continued. "But the looks he gave me were priceless."

"I'll bet." She called and he could hear her open a wine bottle and pour a glass. "He thinks I'm letting you railroad me."

"If you told Jase, then why didn't you let me say anything to the others tonight?" He asked, referring to his attempts to announce their good news earlier. She had summarily shushed him more than once and he'd been more than a little pissed. "The team's not going to be happy when they find out we've told people on the outside and not them."

"It was Billy and Trini's moment." She called, and he heard the refrigerator open and close again. "They already know I'm moving in. Besides, we really haven't told anyone other than family."

Tommy couldn't see her from where he sat, but he imagined the frown on her face. It was obvious her mother wasn't too happy, but as long as Kim was still willing to stay with him, Tommy didn't care what his future mother in law felt. His own mother was thrilled and had peppered him with questions he couldn't even begin to answer. He made a mental note to call his brother again. He'd left a message for David to call, but not telling him the news. He'd have to leave a much more specific message for him tomorrow.

"I emailed Zack." He admitted. He'd seen his friend online in the early morning hours and the two had instant messaged for a while.

"That gives us about twenty four hours before it circulates." She answered, coming around the corner. "I should call Aisha tonight or I'll never hear the end of it."

"Call her in the morning." Tommy said, moving over so she could sit down. "If you call her tonight I won't see you again for hours."

"You're probably right." She laughed, walking over to him.

"What'd you think of the ring he gave her?" He asked.

"Oh my god, I thought I'd go blind from the glare." She laughed, handing him a beer and sitting down.

"That's a huge standard to live up to." He said, only half jokingly. Trini's ring was massive and the stones were excellent. He hadn't had anything that big in mind, but if Trini had one…

"Don't you dare." She said, reading the look on his face. She slapped him playfully with her free hand, but slid up next to him, tucking her head comfortably on his shoulder. "A ring that big is silly… and I had to talk him down from the one he wanted. The other one hung over three of my fingers. We're the same size, she'd never have worn it."

She tossed her legs across his lap and he marveled for the millionth time in two days that she was really with him. Had it really only been two days? It seemed like a lifetime ago and yet he couldn't get enough of her.

"So what kind do you want?" he asked and she shrugged.

"I really hadn't thought about it to be honest. I like the one I have."

"Kim…" He said in a frustrated tone. The ring she had was ridiculous. True, as a boy he had put a lot of time and effort into designing it and it had taken him a year to pay it off, but it was a child's ring. He was touched that she claimed to love it so much, but it wasn't appropriate, by any standards. After visiting with her mom this morning, he was doubly certain he was going to get her something extremely nice. He hadn't been fooled by all her careful questions or comments over breakfast; he knew she was trying to figure out what kind of an income he had.

"I don't like big jewelry." Kim said, taking a sip of the wine. "Would you be offended if I asked to go with you?"

"No, not at all, but then you wouldn't be surprised."

"I've had enough surprises for a while." She said. She'd tried to be funny, but there was an undertone to the comment that they both silently agreed to.

Tommy set his bottle down on the side table and took her glass from her. If she was going to sit in his lap, he wasn't about to waste time drinking a beer. He leaned in and kissed her softly, hands wandering suggestively, but she pulled her head back and away from him.

"I want to talk about what happened this morning." She said softly. She'd wanted to question him about it all day, but the two had never seemed to find a quiet second alone. When she refused him her lips, he focused his attention on kissing her neck while his hands slid along her backside and pulled her more firmly into his lap.

"What about it." He mumbled, finding the spot just below her ear that had made her squirm the previous night. He wasn't disappointed, she gasped and pressed into him. Groaning softly, she disengaged and pulled herself away from him again, but he followed, unwilling to give up.

"What happened on the hill outside the house." She insisted. "It was just for a second, I know you felt it too." He mumbled something incoherent as his kisses trailed down to her shoulder. When she tried to pull away a third time, he used her backward momentum to push her down onto the sofa. Relenting, she sighed contentedly at the contact, but before he could get much further, the doorbell rang. He growled and she giggled, pushing him up and off of her.

"I doubt that's for me." She said playfully. Very few people knew she'd moved in, so it had to be for Tommy. He made an exasperated noise and stood up.

"Don't move." He said sternly. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be waiting." She said, with a heat in her voice that both surprised and enthralled him. Good god, he loved getting to know this new side to her.

Sex with Kimberly had always been intoxicating, but the woman she had grown into captivated him. So far, she had refused him nothing and although he had yet to really push the envelope, she was proving a willing and eager partner. If things kept up the way they had been over the past two days, he was going to grow old a very happy man.

But all those thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he opened the door. There, looking up at him, he was surprised to see Katherine Hillard. "Kat." He said simply, the stunned surprise carrying over in his voice. He turned to look inside, but Kim had heard him and was slipping discreetly away down the narrow hall. Apparently she didn't want to see his ex girlfriend any more than he did right now. Of all the bad timing, he thought ruefully as he heard the bedroom door close.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Katherine said and he shrugged nonchalantly.

"What's up?" He asked, leaning against the doorframe and willing the explicit thoughts he was having about the woman in the bedroom far from his mind.

"I'm looking for my cousin." She said simply, with a look of annoyance he remembered all too well from their years together. "She left a vague email message with my cousin Josh saying she was off to some wilderness adventure for several weeks, but she also apparently missed several big deadlines in New York this morning and now my aunt and uncle are worried sick about her. Apparently Rocky also disappeared this weekend without much notice…which I guess makes sense."

Katherine paused to rub her temples as if they were hurting her and then sighed heavily. "Anyway, I saw the yellow Ranger protesting on TV this morning, and I knew I was going to pass by your neighborhood after shopping tonight, so I thought I'd take a chance and see if you were home so you can tell her to just call her parents… then maybe mine will stop pestering me to go find out what she's up to."

"Sit down." Tommy said, pointing towards a bench sitting under the porch window. She frowned, but took the offered seat. Tommy sat down on the opposite side of the bench and regarded her carefully while he thought about what to say. He knew Carri and Kat had been at odds recently. "That wasn't Carri fighting with us."

"What?"

"That was Andros's sister Karone."

"Carri gave up her powers?" she asked incredulously.

"Temporarily." Tommy confirmed. He reached out and put a hand over Katherine's, but she pulled it away.

"What's going on?" She asked uncertainly.

"Carri was severely wounded on Friday morning." Tommy said plainly, figuring it was easiest to just get it out.

"What?" Katherine gasped, her eyes wide.

"Billy arranged for her to receive treatment on Aquitar and Rocky's gone with her. Hopefully we'll have her back by Thanksgiving, but most likely she'll be gone through most of December."

"How?" Katherine asked, bringing her hands up to her face. Rangers were wounded every day, it was part of the job, but they also had access to the most advanced medical equipment available. They almost never had to be shipped off world.

"A monster called Apis Metallica. Kim called it the Bee Can. It produced a type of venom that she was severely allergic to. She went into shock and, for some reason Billy doesn't understand, she's also suffering some sort of metal poisoning. Billy did what he could, but he felt the most comfortable sending her to Aquitar for the hydro treatments they have available."

"Will she be all right?" She asked. Carri might be pretty high on her hit list right now, but she was still her cousin and she loved her.

"It's serious, but Carri's strong. We'll have to wait and see how much damage the Aquitians can repair. She's in good hands Kat. Rocky's gone with her and he's already called in one report. If you want, I'll keep you posted on how she's doing."

"Oh my god." Katherine said quietly, shaking her head. "I had no idea. I saw the yellow Ranger protesting and just assumed she was up to her antics again."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" He didn't approve of what the girls had done either, but he was at least willing to concede that they had a point.

"I know my cousin." Katherine answered testily.

Tommy shook his head, Katherine was a sweet woman, but once you got on her bad side, it was tough to get back in her good opinion. "Your cousin is good Ranger. Yes, she's high strung, but she's not irresponsible."

"Well," Katherine said evenly, "You're certainly entitled to your opinion. The family certainly doesn't share it."

Tommy smiled slightly at her haughty tone. "The Rangers feel the same way I do. They're they family she's chosen."

"Just like you." Katherine answered, a slight edge to her voice. She had loved Tommy, but she had always felt that she took second place with him. Someone, somewhere, would call and he'd be out the door without even a note or a see you later. Sometimes he'd be gone for days at a time and when she'd ask, he'd just shrug and say it was complicated. She could see how her cousin would fit well into that world, but it drove her crazy.

Tommy's smile became a little brighter, but still held a sad edge to it. He didn't regret that they had parted ways, but he did regret childishly holding on to her for so long when they both knew it was over. He didn't know why they thought moving in with one another would fix things between them. Actually he did. Katherine had felt horribly guilty when they finally slept during her first trip back from London and he thought that kind of commitment when she moved back for good would make her feel better; but it had been a disastrous mistake.

They had given it a valiant try, but both had just grown up into very different people. Katherine had wanted him to settle down and raise kids quietly in the suburbs and he hadn't been very good at figuring out how to do that. He paused, thinking how easily the thoughts of having children had been when he'd discussed them with Kimberly the previous night and how eager he was to share his home with her. He was older now, more mature, and he knew what he was getting into this time around, but the difference in his outlook was striking and it made him pause. Kim was a companion, someone to share his life's work with. Try as he might to include her, Katherine was just never interested in what he did. Her Ranger days were long over and she had wanted his over as well. "Rangering at this age is very different than as a kid." He said simply, for lack of a better answer.

"The uniforms are still made out of spandex." She said dryly and he laughed, the twinkle finding its way back in his eyes.

He regarded her silently for a moment. Truth be known, spandex wasn't his favorite uniform, whatever the color, but it never bothered him enough to think twice about accepting a morpher. "We need the older crews to keep things running." He said simply. "Rangering's far more complicated than it was ten years ago. There's so much more going on in the universe than just Zedd returning to Angel Grove. Someone's got to train the next generation."

"Oh." She responded. "And I'm sure it has nothing to do with your propensity to play hero?"

"There are much easier ways to be a hero." He said honestly. "I'll confess to loving it though."

Katherine shifted in her seat and humped quietly. At least he finally admitted it. She was honestly sorry things hadn't worked out between them, but she was content with her life. She was the one in charge of her future and she'd found a man that was every bit as loyal as Tommy had been, but one that would put her first and wasn't going to run off and get himself killed without warning.

"I'm sorry about Carri." Tommy said, returning to the original conversation.

"So if Rocky's with Carri, who's in blue?"

"Adam." Tommy replied and Katherine let out a most un-lady like bark of laughter.

"I'm sure Tanya's thrilled." She said, making a mental note to call her friend the next morning on the way to work.

"She wasn't unhappy." Tommy said, "But I wouldn't say she was ecstatic." Primary because he'd been hurt so badly, he added silently.

"I'll bet." Katherine said wryly, then paused, considering whether to ask her old boyfriend the question buzzing around in her head. Finally, she squared her shoulders and simply asked, "So Rocky's happy with her?"

Tommy took a deep breath and considered how to answer her. He knew a good deal more about Carri and Rocky's relationship than he really wanted to. Rocky had needed advice and support with everything going on in his life and he had turned to Tommy and Jason because they were his friends and teammates. He had been surprised to hear that Carri and Katherine were now estranged over the situation and even more surprised that Katherine had developed a tight friendship with Rocky's ex girlfriend. Katherine was Carri's cousin and fellow Ranger. In Tommy's mind the loyalty was to be found in those relationships, not with a new acquaintance. But Katherine was in a different place in her life and he respected that.

"She's the love of his life." He answered simply, thinking about Kim. "He's devastated right now and needs to be with her. That's why Adam's here."

"And her leaving Jason didn't disaffect the team?"

"I don't know what you heard." Tommy began, "But all the parties involved are very happy."

When Katherine opened her mouth to protest, he raised a hand up to stop her. "Look Kat, I don't want particulars, I don't need to know them, but you apparently need to clarify things with Carri when she gets back. Jason's thrilled for her, he's not upset at all. In fact, apparently he pushed the two together. And I can honestly tell you that Rocky's the happiest I've ever seen him. At least he was until Carri got hurt."

Katherine thought about Tommy's comment for a few seconds. She didn't like being at odds with Carri, but the two of them were both very stubborn and there was more to their estrangement than just her cousin's relationship with Rocky.

"It's not true you know." She said suddenly.

"What's not true?" Tommy asked absently, rubbing his eyes. He was growing tired of the conversation and his thoughts were constantly wandering back to the female hiding out in his bedroom. The very fact that she was in his bedroom was enough to quicken his pulse, what he was going to do to her after he finished giving her hell for running away when she realized it was his ex-girlfriend at the door was downright painful to anticipate.

"What Carri's been saying about me…and Chris."

"Huh?" Tommy asked, genuinely confused.

"Carri's been accusing me of being with Chris before we broke up." Katherine said hesitantly, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

Tommy stared at her for a second, old wounds and angers threatening to rise to the surface. The truth was he already knew she and Chris had been seeing each other, if not officially dating, well before they'd broken up. The Ranger community was a very small one and they'd been seen together often enough for more than one person to speculate. But the most honest truth was that he was the first to be unfaithful in that relationship and he had been, regrettably, consistently unfaithful in that relationship. When Rocky had accidentally brought up Carri's barb about the unfaithfulness of her cousin, he had apologized profusely, but his friend's comment had done more to relieve his own sense of guilt than cause him any undue pain.

"Carri hasn't said a word about that to me." He said, borrowing Kim's twist on honesty.

"It's not true. Chris and I didn't get together for weeks after we broke up."

"I believe you." He said simply, "But honestly Kat, does it matter?"

"I guess not," She said sighed. "But I don't like the idea of people thinking… of the Rangers thinking that I'd… "

"No-one thinks poorly of you Kat. You've always had a good standing in our group." He assured.

Katherine had a reputation among the Rangers for being sweet and kind and very polite and refined. All of that was absolutely true. Tommy knew a different side to her because he'd lived with her. Deep down, the two cousins were actually very much alike. The difference was that Carri mouthed off her aggression, Katherine stewed quietly and plotted. It would take Tommy days to figure out what he'd done to rile Katherine, the whole time suffering an icy shoulder. As much as Carri made his head ache sometimes, at least everyone knew where they stood with her.

"I hope that's true." Katherine said softly.

"Why are you so willing to think the worst of your cousin?" Tommy asked, frustration creeping in his voice. He wanted to wrap this conversation up, but at the same time, a little alarm in his mind warned him that this was something that needed to be handled. He didn't like the idea of Rangers squabbling; if it went on too long and too many people chose sides, it could be disastrous.

"No, it's not that." Katherine protested, crossing her arms in front of her. "Carri and I were close as children, but now we're polar opposites. Since we've grown up, we constantly bicker. It's sad really, she didn't even tell me she'd become a Ranger...even though she knew full well I'd been one too."

"You've been pretty heavy with the criticism of her Kat. Carri rarely says a word against you, at least none that's gotten back to me."

"Tommy, you have to understand Carri. She's been given everything in life…she denies herself nothing. It's always about what Carri wants and damn the consequences." Katherine took a deep breath and exhaled forcibly, voice rising slightly. "I've tried all my life to be a good girl and make my family proud, but every time I make a poor choice, I hear about it for years. Carri, on the other hand, has done nothing except flaunt her wild side and all the family does is giggle about it. She can do nothing wrong, not even disappear without telling her family."

Tommy sat quietly for a few seconds before saying, "Did you ever stop to think about it from her perspective?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Tommy sighed. Part of Rocky and Kim's growing animosity towards Katherine was starting to make a lot more sense to him. He hated playing shrink, but he'd been left in charge of the Rangers and rifts between them just couldn't be tolerated; especially now when they needed to all come together. This particular nerve needed to be soothed before an even bigger split developed between the two girls. He sighed, wishing Zordon was still there, and considered his words.

"Did you ever think maybe she resents being compared to you just as much as you resent being compared to her?"

"Carri doesn't worry what anyone thinks about her." Katherine spat back.

"Kat, the two of you are the only girls in your family and you're almost exactly the same age. If you feel compared to her, maybe she feels compared to you." Tommy thought about his brother. Even though they loved each other, rifts had occasionally developed between them through the years over petty comparisons and minor rivalries. Familial jealousy was normal, but it could get out of control too.

"You've accomplished a lot in your life." He said. "You were a good student in school, made excellent grades, always set a good example. You nearly went to the Pan Games as a diver for Australia and you were accepted to a very prestigious dance school in London. You have a good steady job as a teacher and you're settling down to start a family." He paused and let her accomplishments sink in for a second. "Carri, on the other hand, is considered the wild child; unpredictable. She's the one who didn't finish school, hates being told what to do, and even though she's managed to carve out a successful life for herself, she's hardly the type to settle down in the suburbs and raise a bunch of kids. You don't think she gets a lot of comparisons to her stable and steady cousin?"

"I never thought of it that way." Katherine admitted. Carri always seemed to get everything she wanted while Katherine always felt like she had to settle. Her life wasn't horrible; she liked where she was and what she was doing. It was just hard to watch Carri flit around and have all those opportunities, but then throw them all away.

Katherine didn't want to be a Ranger again, she wanted to get married and have kids, but she would admit to being envious that Carri had so easily gone back and donned the uniform. She wasn't sure Tommy was right about Carri being criticized. He didn't know how much the family loved her antics, but he could be right. It would explain why she bristled so much around her and her snide remarks about being perfect. "Are you sure that PhD of yours is in Paleontology?" She asked lightly.

"I lead Ranger teams." He said with a chuckle. "You deal with a lot of diverse personalities that have to work together in a very small space." If he knew Katherine, she'd at least start mulling things over and hopefully she'd diffuse a bit of her angst by the time Carri got back. Katherine had accomplished a lot, but Tommy got the distinct feeling she was disappointed with her life. Envy would explain a lot of her feelings; the grass was always greener on the other side of the fence.

"I suppose." She said simply. "Is Carri going to be ok?"

Tommy regarded her for a second, "She was very seriously hurt, but the treatments should help her."

"I do love her you know." She said softly. "She's my cousin."

"She's a strong woman." Tommy answered.

"Yes…that she is." Katherine said wistfully.

* * *

"I just don't understand it." Sirius said from his seat in the Lunar Palace laboratory. The battle had been pathetic and Zedd was beyond furious. Two of the Rangers had even quit the fight and stood over to one side. In the end, the monster had been so ineffectual that it actually run away and no one had been able to find it, let alone make it grow. It just didn't make sense. 

The settings for the monster and the claybots were all exactly where they should have been, yet all of them had performed far below strength. The viratrons checked out just fine, however, their display of leadership skills and their inability to focus the claybots had been deplorable. They insisted that the problem lay in their inability to communicate with the claybots, but Sirius couldn't find a blasted thing wrong with how the communications system had been wired.

Sirius ran the scans again and once again the numbers all checked out. Perhaps the putty he'd used had been contaminated, but it was the same batch he'd used to make the monsters and claybots in the previous battle. Frustrated, he threw the remaining clay in the disposal and opened a new batch from the storage unit. He'd start over from square one with a new crop. This batch he would make sure fermented and charged for a good seventy-two hours before he allowed them to fight.

From the shadows, Rita watched Sirius's struggle with well concealed glee. The magic dust she'd scattered on his clay had done its job. The monster and the claybots hadn't cooked properly. She'd bought herself a little time, but she'd have to think fast to find a way to sabotage the new batch. She didn't dare use the same dust twice or Sirius was bound to discover her.

She turned and stealthily crept back to her chambers. She was a little closer to uncovering what had happened to her predecessor, but not much. The information available for that period of time was sketchy at best. She was ready to allow herself to draw a few conclusions, but right now she didn't have the proof she needed. Without the proof, she wouldn't be able to use her magic to find her predecessor's location.

The wait was frustrating, but all had to be done correctly. If the old Rita wasn't powerless, then the new Rita would only get one shot at fully re-charging her staff. Everything had to be done properly and meticulously. She would succeed, she reassured herself. The need to win Zedd over was embedded into her since before she had become Rita. She would not lose him, even if it meant letting the Rangers win a few battles for a while.


	12. Chapter 12: The Copy Cat

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 12: The Copy Cat

* * *

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to KJ. There's only one Carri babe….

* * *

_Author's note:__ The Copy Cat__ came to life after a long and occasionally wild conversation with KJ, where we decided to write the same story from different angles._

_... In the spirit of things, the copy cat monster herself and the battle scene were copied directly from KJ's __Cheaters Never Prospe__r._

… _I also took a lot of AU liberties with building codes/inspection processes regarding Kim house, and this AU also assumes that Jason remained the Gold Ranger until he graduated high school._

* * *

**What would you do if you were copied without permission? On the one hand, imitation can be flattering, but when that imitation extends to the show she created, Carri just isn't amused….._AND _****as the Rangers slide in to the holiday season, it just seems really hard to get into the spirit of things.**

* * *

**_The Coins takes place in an alternate dimension._**

* * *

"You know, we could have taken a car." Jason said as he slowed his pace for the third time as they passed one drab and identical building after another. 

"Why would we take a car to go four bunkers down." Adam said testily, his leg visibly limping with each step he took across the tarmac.

In the three weeks since the battle against Teeg, Adam's right leg just hadn't healed the way it should have. It had been fine while he was morphed and it was fine for a while after Billy hooked him up to the medical beds and stimulated the nerves in his lower back, but now Rocky was back, which put an end to the morphing, and he and Tanya would soon be returning to New York after spending the holiday with her parents.

After only two days without a morpher, his leg was obviously stiff and sore and he had begun to limp noticeably. Billy was at a loss. There was something wrong with his sacral and femoral nerve, but biology wasn't his strongest subject and the computer didn't seem to have a permanent fix available. He supposed he could send Adam to Aquitar now that Carri was home, but he had another idea he wanted to try out first.

One of his colleagues had transferred from Mariner Bay to NASADA as part of the first phase of the new refugee city project. His job was to develop and strategically place medical facilities in various quadrants that could service a multitude of alien physiologies over a wide variety of medical specialties. Billy had agreed to act as a consultant and, although he considered the work tediously boring, it did give him some connections. One of the teams working on the project was also working on improving the neurological treatment facilities on Earth in general and was developing an experimental process that would artificially copy the nerves in the spinal cord, effectively bypassing damaged or severed bundles and stimulating the muscles into action as if nothing was wrong. He'd been able to get Adam a consultation with the research team and Jason had agreed to walk over with him.

The team didn't know the details of who was coming, but they did know that someone from level eight who had sustained a traumatic injury was coming over for an evaluation. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out it was most likely a Power Ranger who had been hurt. Jason was well known on the complex as working closely with the Rangers, and had wanted to tag along to dissuade anyone from asking too many questions.

This particular bunker was only on a level five security, which was still pretty tight and he didn't think it would be a problem, but rumors were easy to start and he considered himself a lot more intimidating than Adam was. "Come on grandpa." Jason chided as he slowed down yet again.

"Very funny." Adam growled, obviously dragging his leg and moving it with effort.

Jason winced. That was one of the drawbacks to being a Ranger as you slid into thirty, you just didn't bounce back from injuries as quickly as you did at sixteen. Turning twenty nine hadn't phased Jason much. His birthday had come and gone with little fanfare and except for a phone call from his mom bugging him to come over for dinner and a grim reaper doll from Kim, he'd pretty much ignored it.

The concept of turning thirty didn't bother him all that much. Considering his link to Muirantias and that Lerigot estimated his lifespan somewhere around nine or ten thousand Earth years, thirty wasn't even a drop in the bucket. What bothered Jason was watching his friends growing up. Life was changing again and it bugged him.

In their teens, they had been invincible. They went to school, played hard, and saved the world. Life was awesome and it didn't seem like it would ever be different. Then they graduated and went to college and even though they had more freedoms and responsibilities, things were also pretty much still the same: Go to school, play hard, help others to save the world. Somewhere about twenty five, things changed. Although Jason's life at NASADA kept him pretty isolated from the outside, and in the same save the universe loop that he'd been in for years, his friends were changing. They were growing up and settling down; getting married and having kids. It was weird. Even Adam was feeling the pressure from his wife to start having children.

Kim's close call and subsequent pairing off with Tommy had seriously affected him as well. For the last few years, he'd been content with his life. He seriously loved what he did; loved traveling the universe and thwarting evil, loved being on the inside of Earth's migration into a new era, loved the adventure and excitement and even the power. But his carefully contrived lifestyle had a flaw; it depended on Kim and Carri to fill the emotional void of a relationship. For all the headaches the girls gave him, he had enjoyed having them flutter around him. They were safe. He could hug and cuddle with them and enjoy their affections, but he knew that neither of them would put the demands on him that a real relationship with a female would. Kim was his sister and would always be connected to him as his Muirantian twin, and even though what he felt for Carri wasn't exactly sisterly, it was also a safe kind of love. Sex, he could find anywhere, but loving someone, that was a little harder.

He didn't regret letting Carri go. There was a huge part of him that was thrilled she had found a happy relationship with Rocky, but he also missed her. Rocky was possessive and jealous and didn't like him paying attention to her; harmless or not. So he had stepped back. Kimberly understood, and had honestly done her best to step up and fill the void Carri had left, but now she was firmly attached to someone else as well. She still tried to be there for him though. When Tommy had bristled at him for hugging her a little too long, she'd stood up to her fiancé and flatly stated that she came with Jason in tow, period, and Tommy needed to get over it. His friend had given him an odd look and backed down, but Jason had clearly gotten the message. Sisterly bond or no, Tommy wasn't going to put up with him sharing Kim's affections any more than Rocky was going to put up with sharing Carri's.

It was an odd place to be. What had been such a comfortable and carefully contrived lifestyle four months ago, was now isolating. He was odd man out, the only single guy in the midst of married friends. He didn't know what he could do about it either. The women he dated weren't exactly the kind he'd introduce his friends too…let alone his mom. They were fun to play with, but to be honest, they were all pretty much cheap little clones and he was grateful to go home alone without them at night. He supposed he could go out and find a nice girl to date, but then what? It wasn't like he had a nine- to-five job. NASADA and Lightspeed both paid him very well for what he did, and he had all the other amenities you looked for in a stable job, but he could never reveal his job description, let alone relate the day to day tasks he was required to perform.

He'd told his parents he was in the Secret Service, which was true, after a fashion, but what would he tell a steady girlfriend? Bolting off at any given time to answer a page on his communicator got really old, really quick. That was why he'd stopped trying to have relationships after a while; well, that and the fact that steady girlfriends expected a proposal.

He was at a crossroads. It wasn't a mid-life crisis, he was far too young for that. Life just wasn't as comfortable as it had been a few months ago. He was lonely and frankly jealous that his friends had gone out and found successful relationships when he hadn't. As he watched Adam limp through the door of the bunker, he determined that his priorities needed re-evaluating. He decided to bail on his date and just sit home and try to figure things out. Maybe Kim was right, the reason he would never find a woman that could understand and put up with his lifestyle was because he had never honestly gone out and tried to find one. Easy for her to say, he thought grimly.

* * *

Rocky's head hurt. He and Carri had been back for two days, but the time-disorienting feeling of jet-lag had stuck with him and he was tired and grouchy. He had gone over to his mother's house very early that morning before the kids left for school to sit down and talk things out, but he wasn't getting much of a chance to do any talking. His disappearance for the last three weeks had only added fuel to the fire that was already burring hot between himself and his mother and siblings. Fortunately, the youngest two would be getting on the school bus in about five minutes and he'd have a good excuse to leave. 

He had paid the mortgage and the utilities before he left the planet, but he had stopped paying the tuition and other expenses of his siblings when they sided with his mother and against him and Carri. He didn't have any guilt about that, which surprised him, but now, not even eight weeks later, the kids were in serious dilemmas. It was hard for Rocky to see them in trouble, he was way too used to taking care of them, but after several months of being around Carri, it was a lot easier not to cave into their whining. It was three days before Thanksgiving and he honestly wanted to bury the hatchet with his family, but instead of meeting him even half way, the kids had descended upon him about how horrible their lives were and his mother was blaming him. Somehow it was all his fault… because he'd continued to date that woman. That had been a poor beginning and as the hour he'd spent at the kitchen table crawled by, it didn't get much better.

His brother Teo, who was twenty-five and the next oldest next to him, was in the worst shape. His truck was in danger of being repossessed because he hadn't taken his brother seriously and made the last two car payments. He had a good job that he loved as a DJ, but whereas most DJ's had a second job during the week, Teo only worked one or two nights and that just barely paid his rent, let alone his car payment. Without his truck, he couldn't haul his equipment around and if he couldn't do that, he was going to lose his job. He was also behind on his share of the rent and his roommates were seriously upset. Rocky's comment that he might want to consider a second job hadn't gone over well. Teo apparently, suddenly, wanted to go back to school and he couldn't possibly do that if he worked during the week. This didn't sit well with Rocky, who had delivered pizzas and opened his Karate school while putting himself through college.

Next up was his sister Nina, who's twenty-third birthday party he'd missed while on Aquitar. Nina was a very good friend of Marie's and had been the most vocal against Carri. Technically, she worked as a secretary for his schools, answering phone calls, paying bills, and collecting tuition checks. Apparently Master Archer, his friend from college who he'd hired to oversee his schools when he couldn't be there, had decided to crack down on her while he was gone.

Instead of allowing her to calculate her own hours and write her own paycheck each week, he'd created a sign-in book and forced her to sign in and out whenever she came and left the school. At the end of the week, he'd docked her each time she took more than an hour for lunch, and he'd also docked her for being late and leaving early. Despite her protests, he had taken the checkbook away from her and was also now insisting she wasn't going to get another paycheck until she'd worked off the duplicate paychecks she'd been giving herself. This caught Rocky's attention immediately and he suddenly realized why expenses seemed so high in comparison to the money coming in over the last few years.

Far from being repentant, she was furious that Master Archer had challenged her, the sister of the owner, and was demanding Rocky fire him. Archer had apparently been making life hell for Nina in other ways too; hanging up the phone when he thought she was talking too long with her friends, shooing her boyfriend out when he hung around for too long, telling her she had to dress more conservatively in front of the kids, no more i-pod inside the school, forbidding her from reading romance novels on the front desk, and a whole host of other things. Worst of all, since he had docked her salary the last three weeks, she couldn't pay even the minimum on her credit card bills and was now probably going to have to move home with their mother. Far from being sympathetic, Rocky found himself considering raising Archer's salary.

Eddie was up next complaining that the school was also bugging him to get his tuition paid and he didn't know about his car payments, but he hadn't made any himself. In contrast to their sister, his youngest brother wasn't all that worried about it though. He was nineteen and very laid back and Rocky found himself staring into his brother's red eyes and wondering if he was stoned or was recovering from being stoned the previous night.

His two youngest sisters, Doninta and Ileana, were just chatter boxes and Rocky found himself tuning them out and watching the clock until they left for the bus stop. Doni was pissed that she didn't have a car like her other siblings, but heaven forbid she go out and get a job after school. She had cheer practice and other activities and already couldn't find the time to get her homework done. A job would just bring her GPA down that much further. Rocky had gotten cars for the other two and she thought it was horribly unfair that she didn't have one too.

Rocky couldn't begin to imagine what problems fourteen year old Ileana could bring up, but apparently she'd been caught cheating and was suspended from school for three months. That seemed harsh to Rocky, until he learned that she'd actually hacked into the school's computer, downloaded its information on tests and exams for the rest of the year, changed her grades for the term, and then given it a nasty virus. His mother insisted that the whole affair was somehow his fault because he had created so much turmoil in their lives and the youngest was naturally just acting out against it. His mother now demanded that he pay for the tutor they'd found so she could stay on track and not fall behind the other kids.

As Doni stood up to catch the high school bus, Rocky stood too. He thanked his mother for the coffee and grabbed his car keys telling them they needed to figure it out themselves. He was honestly sorry that they probably wouldn't be spending Thanksgiving together for the first time ever, but the idea of a quiet dinner with just Carri was sounding better and better.

He didn't think it was Carri's influence that gave him the courage to walk out the door again, ignoring the protests of the family, but he was very grateful he had such a strong and independent woman in his life. He was tired of taking care of people who didn't appreciate what he did for them. He thought maybe this was how his dad must have felt eleven years ago. As he turned to close the door behind him, he looked Nina in the eyes and told her she was fired.

* * *

Tommy was not having a good day. His brother sat propped up on the porch of the old house, a huge _I told you so _look plastered firmly on his face. They had received a "stop work" order by the county until the inspectors could come out and determine if they had the right permits. He had a sneaking suspicion that the whole affair had something to do with the development group that had been trying to buy _Heartland_'s land from Kimberly. They had bought up all the surrounding acreage for a huge planned community and _Heartland_ itself was the last piece of land they hadn't acquired. She had been refusing them politely ever since the sale had been finalized, but lately they'd stopped increasing their offers and had gotten downright aggressive. 

He had no idea who else would have tipped off the county that there was documented asbestos in the house and that no inspectors had been out to insure the substance was properly disposed of. For the last ten days, he had spent extra time he didn't have producing documents where none had previously existed. It was a nightmare. What had really happened to the asbestos insulation could absolutely not become part of a government record where the general public could view it. It had been filtered, bundled up, and then sent to KO-34 where it was considered as priceless as gold was on Earth.

He had agreed to ship it off world as part of Earth's appeasement settlement when the Kaoan government had cried outrage over the incident involving Andros. It had seemed such a simple solution. They wanted it, he wanted to get rid of it, and Andros hadn't cared one way or another. He had no idea how priceless that substance was to the Kaoans, or he might not have sent so much of it, but all parties had been happy…that is until he'd been asked to provide documentation on the company who had removed it, papers assuring it had been removed according to law, and documentation proving it had been disposed of properly.

Fortunately, he'd been able to call in a few favors and a local corporation with close ties to NASADA had provided Stone Canyon County with the documents they requested. That still left the matter of the inspector, who had started complaining of other violations and was currently going through the house with a fine tooth comb. Michael was with him and the two seemed to come back out on the porch to review the blueprints every two or three minutes, then delve back inside to discuss something else.

His brother had found the whole thing hilarious. He had warned Tommy against taking on his then ex-girlfriend's renovation and warned him even more about using too much alien technology to get the job done faster. Stone Canyon was notorious for their vicious rules and regulations. Too many homes, built in the housing boom of the early nineties, were falling apart and having serious problems because of lax enforcement of the building codes. This, combined with the need to control the growing sprawl out of Angel County, had enticed them to come down hard on all construction projects ever since.

Enforcement and fines were extreme and the inspectors themselves referred to a Nazis. Rumor had it the inspector who found the most violations was given a bonus at the end of the month. It was only a rumor, but given the asshole crawling around Kim's house, Tommy was inclined to believe it. Michael had firmly sent him outside after the first five minutes, saying he wasn't helping the matter with his scowls and growling and he'd been sitting on the porch with his brother ever since.

If the house and property had been solely in one county, it wouldn't have been that big of a problem; they could just be very precise in their paperwork. However, of Kim's two-hundred and thirty-six acres, twenty-four of them lay across the Stone Canyon County line. Unfortunately, that's also where the house was, but not the whole house, just part of it. Angel County had softened their codes, restrictions, and ability to obtain permits to make it easier to repair monster damage more quickly and to encourage people to buy and renovate the older homes there and the inspector from Stone Canyon wasn't about to accept any documentation from them on permits or passed inspections.

To build the road up to the house from the main road, they had to get a permit from Angel County and get an identical one from Stone Canyon County as well. To rebuild the porch and part of the roof where structural changes were necessary, they also had to have duplicate permits. To re-establish the water connection, they had to go through Stone Canyon, but the actual hookup site was on the part of the house that sat in Angel County. Although the house was going to be primarily solar powered, they were still required by Stone Canyon to hook the house up to public utilities or they wouldn't pass inspection. Those connections would have to come from Angel County, however the Stone Canyon inspector firmly refused to approve the installation of the electrical and gas lines until they amended their construction permits and abided by Stone Canyon regulations. As the Angel County lines apparently didn't meet those regulations, a special dispensation was going to have to be applied for before work could continue on the house.

Tommy had had enough. After the idiot combing through the house was finished, he was going to go down to the Stone Canyon County Government Center and file permits for everything he and Michael and his brother could possibly think of. Then he was going to go down to the Angel County Complex and file duplicate copies of all the permits he had filed in Stone Canyon. If that didn't work, he was going to have someone at NASADA pick the whole damn house up and move it a good fifty feet into Angel County. He was fed up with the whole thing and his temper was boiling over.

It would help if Kimberly was actually present, but she wasn't. She had gone to help the Nova's secure a power coin and then she was returning with them to Rheiga 4 on personal business. Apparently two of the Nova's had been caught in an illicit relationship; something that happened all the time on Ranger teams but was a major disgrace inside the Intergalactic community.

The boy was Elemi's son and the girl of undetermined origin and the whole situation had caused a huge uproar. Kim had spoken extensively to Trey and Dimetria about it, which told Tommy she had known of the teenage affair longer than Elemi apparently had, and in the end it was realized that the only way the circumstances could be resolved was to give the girl Kim's own Intergalactic status and let the two enter into a legal, but temporary, banding.

As much as Tommy got a sadistic glee out of her ex-husband's angst and anxiety over the matter, he had agreed, as the Master of Zordon's line, that it was an appropriate resolution. The girl possessed Kim's old morpher and had been trained by her, it was acceptable that Kim should officially tap her as a descendant if she chose to. But even knowing that Elemi and Kim were soon to be in-laws just wasn't enough to keep him from stewing that Kim was once again onboard her ex-husband's ship.

She would only be gone about twelve hours Earth time, but Tommy knew how many weeks that translated into if she looped time, which he knew she was going to do, and the idea of her spending that much time with Elemi made his skin crawl and his irritability rise. She had agreed to marry him, he re-assured himself, but it didn't help and, as the minutes ticked by, his mood became more and more foul.

Tommy watched as the inspector and Michael once again emerged from the house and Michael once again insisted that the Angel County permit for whatever construction project was under question was definitely the right one needed. Once again, the inspector challenged him, referring to his notes and the two continued their discussion back into the house. Tommy leaned his head forward and then threw it back, banging it several times against the outside wall of the house. His brother chuckled and he turned and glared at him unmercifully. This was going to be a very long, tedious, and frustrating morning.

One thing was certain, if his spies determined that the development group was the one behind his recent problems with Stone Canyon County, he was going to go after them with a vengeance. They were messing with the wrong pissed off Power Ranger.

* * *

Carri had already been home for two days, of which she slept through most of, but it still startled her when she woke up and saw her bedroom and not the tiny holding room she'd been sleeping in for the last three weeks. She was still tired and fatigued, but having her morpher back helped things considerably. She rolled over and stretched her hand out for Rocky, but there was only an empty pillow, which meant that he had already left for work without waking her. She frowned, not liking that he'd slipped out without saying goodbye, but she understood. He'd been extremely overprotective in the last forty-eight hours and had been insistent that they go to bed early the previous night so she could rest; not waking her probably meant he still wanted her to catch up on her sleep. 

She was done with resting though. It had taken the past two days to get over the jetlag feeling she'd had, but she was feeling better now. Kicking a monster's ass yesterday had been pure bliss and that, more than anything else, had restored her spirits. She still hadn't had a chance to talk to Kim about recent developments with her powers, but she realized was going to have to make time as soon as her friend got back from Rheiga 4. She hadn't even told Rocky, although she knew he suspected something was up.

The combination of the water from the Eternal Falls and her Ninjetti powers had done something to her. The metallic venom from the Apis monster had been strikingly similar to the venom in Ivan's scorpions. That's what had caused the allergic reaction she'd suffered, but it had also changed her physiology. Weird Ranger powers were not unheard of, she knew that, but she'd never experienced any of them before either. In the last week alone, she'd been able to use the metallic like compounds in her cells to form a type of armor around her hands. The armor was electrically charged and she'd been able to do all kinds of fascinating things with it. It was both weird and fascinating at the same time.

Practicing had been extremely difficult, the process left her exhausted and she was rarely left alone because Rocky hovered over her. Now that she was back on Earth and he'd be gone at work all day, she was eager to see just what these new powers could do; but she needed to talk to Kim first. Kim wasn't Dulcea, but she knew a hell of a lot about Ninjetti powers from her training on Phaedos. She didn't want to give up her new found ability, it fascinated her, but she wanted more information on it before she got in over her head.

Stretching, she rolled out of bed and wandered out into the kitchen in search of coffee. She had a mountain of mail to go through and her dad's production office had a conference call scheduled at noon that she had to be ready for. It was good to be home, but catching up on all her missed work was going to be a serious pain in the ass for a while.

* * *

Trini shoved the copies of her divorce papers into the drawer, purposely placing them well away from the file that contained the copy of their marriage license for the ceremony on Friday. She and Billy should have been married by now, but a last minute phone call from his mother had postponed things. She wanted to fly in and be there for the ceremony, which had shocked her son, but the only weekend she could get off from work was the week of Thanksgiving. 

Billy hadn't wanted to wait, sighting his mother's dubious past history of claiming she'd show up for something and then blowing it off, but he had eventually caved to pressure from his father. Trini had told him waiting a few more weeks wouldn't matter to her, but as the days got closer, she really wished they would have just flown to Los Vegas. She was obviously pregnant now and even though the folds of her maternity blouse hid the small bulge, she was still overly conscious of it.

Billy was in a horrible mood at the prospect of being around his mother again and the sudden news a few days ago that she was bringing her husband with her, a husband no one knew she had, had only added fuel to an already angry fire. Billy never lost his temper with her, but in the last few days, he'd been short and snappish and an absolute hellion around NASADA. The Rangers chalked it up to pre-wedding jitters, but Trini knew he was simply dreading seeing his mother again and all the old slights and angers of the twenty years since she'd walked out on him were flooding back.

Trini really couldn't identify. Her mother was dominating, but she had to admit that she had two very loving and stable parents and a good solid upbringing. She barely remembered Billy's mother and those memories were more along the lines of being surprised that he had one. She'd only been to visit twice in the time between elementary and high school and he rarely spoke of her.

She knew that the woman had called her son defective and had flat out told him the reason she was leaving his father was because she couldn't deal with his oddities. That still hurt Billy, but she also knew his father had been a great parent and Billy had as stable of an upbringing as she had; if only in a single parent household.

She sighed heavily, thinking of the small ceremony on Friday. Part of her was excited, but part of her wanted to spend Thanksgiving quietly, without a fuss, instead of fretting over rehearsals and relatives. It was going to be a larger wedding than she had originally wanted, but still tiny; only about twenty-five people were attending.

Small as it was, it was all far more complicated than she really wanted to deal with right now. Her mother was flying around like a chicken trying to add this or that into the ceremony and to make sure this or that decoration or food item was present and Trini simply rolled her eyes and let her flutter about.

Billy's mother was supposed to fly in on Wednesday and spend Thanksgiving with them, but she had just left a message for Billy saying she had another obligation and would now be flying in early Friday morning, just before the wedding that afternoon. Billy wasn't going to be happy and she wasn't quite sure how to tell him yet. They had specifically postponed the ceremony so that she could be there, now Trini wondered if they had postponed things for nothing.

* * *

Jason and Adam weren't kept waiting long, people from level eight generally weren't, Jason mused, and both were quickly led to a set of elevators nearly identical to the ones in their own compound. NASADA may have the cutting edge in alien technology, Jason thought to himself, but they were really short on originality. Lightspeed was different. Talk about cool buildings and facilities. NASADA was effective, which was why Billy was here, but it was just so …blah. 

The elevators did a quick security check, nothing compared to level eight, and then began their decent to the right level. All the while the aide escorting them gushed. Adam apparently found the attention amusing, usually it was Tanya who was gushed over and not him, but Jason kept his no nonsense scowl firmly in place. After a few minutes, it amused him to note that the aide began to keep a cautious distance from him and focused most of her chatter towards Adam.

As Jason expected, just about everyone they encountered was anticipating real live Power Rangers. They were respectful of their insistence that they were only volunteers who "worked with" the Power Rangers, but no one actually believed that alibi. Security around the two had been overblown and Jason firmly resolved to have Billy look into it afterward. They were assured over and over that the team who would be working on Adam's injury had been thoroughly screened by multiple sources. Their alibi as volunteers would have been much more believable if no security requirements had been demanded. All the added hoopla did was draw attention to the fact that they were not ordinary NASADA workers.

Finally, the pair were left alone in a large infirmary of sorts and Jason allowed himself to chuckle over the whole situation. Adam grinned in response and the two rolled their eyes in mutual understanding of the idiocy of it all.

"If it's like this now," Adam piped up, "I wonder what's going to happen when Tommy's information campaign gets going in earnest."

"Don't remind me." Jason scowled.

Tommy's proposed information campaign had met with a lot of resistance from the Zeos, primarily because they were the ones slotted to be the first Rangers put out to the media for interviews; excluding, as it happened, Zeo five, who was just too busy at the moment and had assigned another red to take his place. Kim had hemmed and hawed, but eventually she had agreed to do the first interview with Cassidy, explaining why the girls had protested that day. Karone had been scheduled to appear as well, but mysteriously disappeared, claiming way too innocently that she had completely "forgotten" about it.

Kim hadn't been too phased by the defection and Jason wondered if the two girls had discussed it ahead of time. Since Kim's decision to protest with her that day, she and Karone had become fast friends. As Kimberly was the spawn of Maligore and Karone was Dark Specter's former heir, the two had cheekily pronounced each other cousins, much to the amusement of Andros and the Zeos. Even without Karone, Kim had done an awesome job and the four minute piece had run on just about every news station across the globe.

Unfortunately, she'd given such a good performance, Tommy was now pressing her to take the unmasked job of official "press secretary" to the Rangers. She had flatly refused and Jason knew they had argued loudly and viciously over it, but Tommy kept at her. Jason figured she'd probably cave eventually. She was pretty, spoke both English and French fluently, had been a fairly famous athlete and sports commentator, a co-host to her own TV show, and she knew how to give interviews and be interviewed. Most importantly, she always caved when Tommy really wanted her to do something.

Officially, all the Zeos, including both Carri and Karone were now openly employed by the New Tech City Project. Somewhere in the last week or so _Tech_ had been substituted for _Refugee_ because someone thought it might sound too much like a refugee internment camp instead of a modern intergalactic city. Jason thought New Tech City sounded stupid, but no one had asked him for his opinion and everyone seemed to ignore him when he gave it anyway.

Their official jobs hadn't exactly been outlined yet, but Tommy had kept them more than busy between that and their other responsibilities. Jason thought the entire affair was insane, but he had to admit he'd warmed up to it a little more in the last week. It was grueling, tedious, monotonous work, but some of it was actually kind of fun. Besides, Tommy had made sure Jason's other work in the galaxy wasn't compromised, which had given him a good excuse to get out of more than one lame assignment; so he was content.

He was so lost in his own musings, it startled him when the door opened and Billy's colleague, Dr. Iwate, and his group walked in. They introduced themselves to Adam first and then turned and greeted Jason. He stood casually and extended his hand to each of the team, not really paying all that much attention. But when his hand clasped the small female one of Dr. Mann, his head snapped up. There, in front of him, was a face he hadn't seen in more than ten years.

"Emily." He said, stunned.

* * *

Zedd was thoroughly depressed. The last monster attack had failed more miserably than the others. Actually, the monster had been alright, but the claybots had mysteriously hardened half way through the battle and begun shattering as the Rangers kicked them. It was pathetic and he just didn't understand it. Neither, apparently, did Sirius who was justifiably terrified for his own life at this point. 

For the last three weeks, the attacks had been wretched at best; each and every one of them a disastrous carbon copy failure of the last. At one point, it almost looked as though Sirius was done working through the bugs in their machinery, but that monster had also crumbled at the most critical moment. It just didn't matter what he did, nothing worked. Even supervising Sirius from start to finish hadn't produced better results.

He slouched miserably on his throne and leaned his chin against an armored fist. If he didn't know better, he'd swear they were being sabotaged, but not even a tighter security net around Sirius's lab had prevented the pathetic quality of his monsters from improving. The previous day had been a complete and total disaster and he had another forty eight hours before the next batch was completely cooked. He just didn't get it…

* * *

"I'm going to fucking murder her!" Carri snarled. "That two timing, double crossing, sneaky, slimy, little bitch!" She screamed as Rocky closed the front door behind him. He cautiously made his way into the family room, only to duck quickly as Carri's cell phone whizzed past him and imbedded itself in the drywall where his head had just been. She immediately froze, then raced up to him. 

"Are you ok babe?" She asked, eyes wide and hand reaching up to make sure the phone hadn't bounced off his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What the hell was that about."

Her eyes immediately turned more viscous than he'd ever seen them. She threw back her head and screamed in frustration.

"What?" Rocky asked, seriously worried for her sanity. Thank god it was still early afternoon or the neighbors would be calling 911. Carri had only been back from Aquitar for two days, what could have so seriously riled her in the six hours he'd left her alone was baffling.

"That!" she hissed, pointing at the TV that was showing nothing but snow and static.

"The cable died?"

"No!" She screamed, grabbing the remote off the back of the couch and hurling it across the room. It smashed into three different pieces and the batteries scattered across the floor.

"Ok, instead of smashing any more electronics, let's try taking some deep breaths."

Carri took a massive breath in and exhaled it forcibly, but she still looked ready to destroy the rest of the house. She stared at the snow on the TV screen as if it were the most annoying monster she'd ever fought. She was breathing steadily in and out, but it reminded Rocky more like a bull ready to take out the matador than a calming exercise.

"No offense sweetheart," He said, trying to add a little humor into a tight situation, "But I kind of like that big flat screen of yours, even if you've destroyed the remote. I'd really hate to see you take it out."

She turned her glare on him then, but the humor worked and she stopped looking as if she was going to tear the house apart. She walked over and picked up the pieces of the remote, snapping it back together and re-inserting the batteries. She then hit the play button and the DVD whirled into action as if nothing had ever been wrong. She tossed a manila envelope on the sofa aside and motioned for him to sit down next to her.

The screen went to a blank blue color and then beeped into a color wheel. It began the countdown at five and then beeped again before showing a vaguely familiar opening sequence. It was the music from Carri's show, but jazzed up in a funky remix, and the scenes that preceded the strikingly similar cursive title were nearly identical to Carri's opening sequence. But instead of pictures and postcards from around the world falling across the screen, these pictures were obviously US landmarks. Where Carri's name would usually scroll across the screen in big gold cursive letters, the screen spelled out a new name in platinum ink.

"Lizzie Banna?" Rocky asked, "Never heard of her."

"My former assistant." Carri growled. "She was all gung ho about taking over for me and seriously pissed off that I hired someone else."

"So she quit and found another job?"

"No she went to another network and copied the whole damn format of my show. How the hell she moved so fast on it is beyond me. We just wrapped this season's production in August." Carri hit another button on the remote and the end credits began to whirl by. "Look…" She pointed to the writing scrolling upwards on the screen. "I specifically had that font made just for my show. She took my damn disks Rocky. The god damn music is even the same, all she did was hype it up and re-mix it. I don't know how the hell she can get away with it. From start to finish it's _my_ show. _Stylish Shopping_ my ass, it's a total knock off of _Boutique Style_. She changed the name, but the show is the exactly same."

"It's a show about shopping babe." He said and instantly regretted the comment.

"There's a hell of a lot more involved in putting that kind of show together than just shopping. She copied the opening, the dialog style, the format, the ending, and even the damn font on the credits…and I'll bet you anything she also took a copy of my contact and sponsor list off my laptop."

"So what happens now?" he asked and Carri snorted.

"Dad's had his lawyers on it for two weeks trying to get it pulled before it debuts next Sunday as a mid-season replacement."

"And..."

"And the judge ruled this morning that it can air as long as she changes the music and the font the credits are written in." She threw back her head and screamed again, but there was far less effort in it this time. "Damnit, where are Zedd and his monsters when I need them!" She howled.

* * *

Tommy waited impatiently in his office as the minutes ticked by. He understood that the bedroom had to remain clear of people so Kim could safely transport back in, otherwise he'd have been pacing the floor in there. She was nearly one minute past her return time, which he knew was no big deal, but he wanted her back…now. A reddish glow illuminated the hallway and he raced across it, halting at the doorframe and allowing the last of the energy to drain away before he burst in and scooped her up. 

"I missed you too." She said, smiling and pressing into him, the fatigue clear in her voice. It was nice to have someone to come home to who realized you'd been away a lot longer than the clock said you had.

"How'd it go?" He asked, hugging her tightly.

"Frustrating, but good." She said, relaxing into his embrace.

"Frustrating?"

"Let's just say that Teeg was not exactly amused to learn I'm still alive."

"Are you alright." He asked, concerned. There was obviously more to the story than that, but he knew he needed to step back and let her re-adjust to the time.

"I'm fine. Just really tired." She said, lifting her head and kissing him soundly. "And very, very hungry." She groaned.

Tommy grinned at her. He was slowly starting to get to know and understand her patterns. Normally, she ate very little, often forgetting to eat at all until someone reminded her; which was the Kimberly he remembered from high school. The one exception to this was when she used her powers. If she was just using them to check the progress of something or power up a viewing globe, she'd get a little irritable and grumble about the lack of snack food variety in the cupboard. If she used them to transport around, she could usually be found eating what he'd consider a normal sized meal. However, if she'd really been out and around the galaxy, looping time and seriously drawing on her Muirantian powers, she could down a shocking amount of food in a very small amount of time and become absolutely vicious if she didn't get that food fast enough.

"I told Rocky and Carri to meet us at _Bulkmier's_ in half an hour for a late lunch."

"Perfect." She said in such a dramatic tone that he chuckled at her.

"I also told him if they get there first to go ahead and order you two of whatever he was having. I think he thought I was joking."

"Maybe I can call ahead." She said absently, stepping away and pulling off her Nova uniform shirt before heading into the bathroom. "Let me get a fast shower and then we can go."

Tommy paused, considering his options. On the one hand, Kim could get nasty if she didn't eat soon enough after a long power drain. On the other hand, she'd just taken off her shirt and turned the shower on. He really should turn around and finish copying the disks he'd started to work on for the Assembly, he thought to himself. But at the sound of the shower curtain being pulled aside he threw caution to the wind and removed his own shirt and jeans; following her into shower and completely ignoring her protests that they would be late.

* * *

"Carri, this is a bad idea. We're gonna be late meeting Kim and Tommy." Rocky said as he locked his car and ran after his girlfriend who was storming through Angel Grove Park. A reporter had called from a local news channel asking if Carri had a comment about Lizzie Banna shooting a reunion show with her best friend in Angel Grove Park and Carri had flown out of the condo screaming. Rocky had convinced her to at least let him drive so she didn't kill herself or someone else on the freeway. 

"She's doing a god damn reunion special Rocky." Carri snarled as she stomped down the sidewalk. She wasn't sure exactly where in the ninety-five acre park she was going, but she had a pretty good idea she'd find Lizzie at the Power Rangers Memorial where she had shot the opening sequence for her own reunion episode. "She's twenty-frek'n-four years old. How the hell does she come off doing a reunion special." Carri stopped short and whirled around and Rocky had to dance back a few steps to keep from slamming into her. "… she went to high school in Kentucky."

Carri spun around again and stormed off. It wasn't long before she saw the familiar sites of a crowd watching the filming and the actions of a production crew trying to wrap things up. She avoided the crowd and made her way through the back of things, past the cameraman who was packing up his gear and right next to Lizzie, who was complaining about the lack of diet soda on the set. Lizzie physically jumped when she saw her, then, in an over the top bit of Hollywood acting, squealed, "Carri! God, I haven't seen you in ages…have you gained weight? Domestic life looks so good on you."

"Cut the crap Lizzie." Carri said, extremely proud of herself for holding back and not physically throttling her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lizzie shrugged, tossing her bleach blond hair back and doing her best to appear as if she had no idea what Carri was talking about. "Uhmm, I'm like, wrapping production for the day. Why?"

"If you wanted to go off and do your own show, that's fine. I could honestly care less and I probably would have wished you well, even helped you, but what you're doing is such blatant duplication of _Boutique_…"

"The judge said you don't own shopping shows sweetheart." Lizzie said nastily, perky facade dropping in an instant.

"Shopping shows no, but he did tell you to find your own music and fonts. You copied those directly off my computer didn't you? Danny says he's never seen you down in the studio, that's the only other place you could have gotten it."

"Oh please, like I would copy you… I'm totally doing my own thing."

"You changed the name and remixed the music…everything else, the format, the outlines, even the damn postcards floating down during the opening credits…it's all directly off my show. You're even in Angel Grove Park at the Power Rangers Memorial doing a reunion show for Christ's sake..."

"Excuse me, but you don't own outlines and you don't own the right to talk about shopping and travel. I have every right to make up my own episodes and if they're similar to yours, well I'm sorry you're taking it badly. The truth is, I have as much right to talk about this stuff as you do." Lizzie said, clucking her tongue and waving her hand in a stupid gesture that looked totally out of place on her.

Carri came so close to slapping her it wasn't funny. She had never, in all her wildest temper blowouts, ever wanted to physically crush another human being until this instant. The conscious realization of that kind of raw emotion startled her and that, more than anything else, kept her temper in check. "At least my show is original." Carri spat, using all her self control to stay rational and not to wrap her fingers around Lizzie's throat. "You're nothing better than a damn copy cat. You're too lazy to create your own ideas, so you blatantly pirate mine."

Lizzie placed a hand on her hip and matched Carri's scowl. "You know, I used to admire you. I mean it, I really looked up to you. I loved the spin you put on the episodes and I really enjoyed the way you'd write the scripts, but the reality is you're just an old witch who can't stand the fact that you're getting a little too old to do this anymore. There's a new, _younger_, girl in town sweetheart… and there's nothing you can do about it." She turned on her heel and stormed off, calling over her shoulder, "Leave my set or I'm calling security."

Carri started to follow her, eyes murderous, but Rocky stopped her. "Carri nothing good is going to come from you going after her." He said. She whirled around and turned her glare on him, but he shook his head. "Think about it babe, she's right, this is her set. She has every right to call security on us. You want to talk about bad press? Take a deep breath and let's go meet up with Kim and Tommy."

Carri closed her eyes and exhaled forcefully. Rocky was right, the judge had said Lizzie's production could continue. If she pummeled her it would only feed the tabloids and give the bitch more publicity. "Fine." She muttered and allowed Rocky to lead her away from the set.

* * *

"I have an idea Zedd." Rita said, leaning back from the viewing globe where she'd been watching the yellow Ranger. 

"I assure you, I'm not the least interested in it." Zedd replied morbidly from his throne.

"No, seriously." Rita insisted. "I've been doing a lot of research into our predecessors, she admitted cautiously. "It seems that the previous Rita and Zedd didn't wait around for clay monsters to ferment."

"Fascinating." Zedd said the same monotone.

"They would use their staffs to make objects, and even sometimes humans, on the surface of the planet into monsters."

Zedd sat up a little straighter and turned toward her, which thrilled her to no end. She may not know where her predecessor was yet, but she'd learned enough from her spell books to at least peak Zedd's interest for a while.

"Explain." Zedd said.

"The yellow Ranger's in a tizzy over some stupid human squabble. She feels angry and violated. Violated woman are generally fairly vulnerable. I think we might be able to exploit that emotion….if we work quickly."

"And your plan is…" Zedd asked and Rita all but danced up next to him.

"We join the power of our staffs together, focus it through the viewing globe, and turn the source of the yellow Ranger's angst into a monster who works for us. The other human already despises her, it would be relatively simple to utilize that anger for our own cause…unless you want to sit around and do nothing for the three days it takes Sirius to make another clay monster…" she said, one finger idly tracing the crescent of her staff.

Zedd stood up and grabbed his staff forcefully, "Show me the one who has upset Zeo two." He demanded and Rita gleefully enlarged the image on the viewing globe to show Lizzie leave the set and walk off through the park. "This had better work witch." He growled, raising his staff.

Rita brought her own staff up and the two simultaneously shot Lizzie with energy bolts. Lizzie arched back momentarily in shock and then quickly began to morph into a six foot tall black cat which walked upright on two stiletto covered paws and wore the same hat and purse Lizzie had. With another jolt from Rita's staff, she was transported off the surface and up to the Lunar Palace.

* * *

"Can you at least pretend you're not about to go nuclear at any moment?" Rocky asked under his breath as Skull laughed nervously and dropped menus haphazardly all over the table. Carri glared at him and he giggled again, promising to bring _Dr. Oliver_ over as soon as he arrived. He turned quickly and immediately tripped over a chair at the table next to them, belly flopping on the floor. 

Usually, Skull didn't seat them when they came to eat at _Bulkmier's_, they were comfortable enough with the restaurant and staff that they would just walk in and grab an open table in the section they liked or, if it was a peak time, one of the waitresses would seat them. But this afternoon the restaurant was absolutely packed; they had been quickly ushered past at least twenty parties waiting to be seated.

Bulkmier's was an incredibly popular hamburger joint in Angel Grove, and it could be difficult to get a seat sometimes during peak hours, but their group had fallen into the habit of not coming during the busiest times, so that it was a little quieter and they could relax by the pool or up near the patio by the fence; rarely eating inside the main restaurant itself. True, they were eating lunch a lot later than they normally did, but it was hardly late enough in the afternoon for the dinner crowds to be jamming in. Rocky felt a little sheepish cutting in line like they had, but Carri just shrugged.

The waitress was not far behind Skull, bringing silverware and straightening the menus.

"So what's going on today?" Rocky asked her. She wasn't one of the girls who normally waited on them, but he had seen her often enough to strike up a friendly conversation. "Did someone switch primetime from six up to three?"

She smiled at him, looking up and nodding to a customer who was trying to get her attention. "Mr. Bulkmier started a new promotion," she said as she filled the water glasses. "If you redeem your school Bulkpoints during the week between two and four, he'll give you double credit for them. I think he was trying to entice more of the kids from the junior high and high school to come over after classes and sports."

"Which is the same time we generally come…fabulous." Carri growled, tossing her menu down. Rocky gave her an admonishing look and turned back to the waitress.

"And that brought in this much of a crowd?"

"No." The waitress said in a frustrated tone, nodding at another customer trying to get her attention, "He forgot to make a provision that you can't use the new promotion with any other promotion. Watner's is also fighting for the after school crowd and is running a buy one meal get one meal free promo. Mr. Bulkmier always accepts any promotion Watner's is running. So most of these kids are paying for one meal with their Bulkpoint dollars and getting the second one free using the Watner's coupon."

"Crap." Carri said, rolling her eyes and sitting back in her chair. "Which means we're gonna avoid _Bulkmier's_ for a while. I don't know what's worse, the teenagers or the noise they make." She said irritably, glaring at two teenage boys who were noisily moving down the crowed isle, shoving each other and calling out stupid insults. Two giggling girls followed them.

"Yeah, and the tips have been fabulous too." The waitress said sarcastically. "One kid actually looked me in the face and reminded me that ten percent of nothing is nothing and that was his tip for me."

"Nice." Rocky said. He'd waited enough tables and delivered enough pizzas to know Bulk's staff probably wasn't too happy this afternoon.

"Good god." Carri moaned after the waitress took their drink order and ran off to another table.

"Oh leave off." Rocky answered. "It wasn't so long ago that you were in high school."

"I was never that loud…or that silly." She said crossly as the table next to them erupted in overly loud laughter and started shooting spitballs at each other through their straws. "Leave it to Bulk to pack his restaurant and then not make any profit. I hope he can stay in business after this."

"I'm sure his wife will find a way around it." Rocky said, leaning back in his seat. "She's pretty sharp… and it's only Monday."

"Well, at least the wait will keep those people who followed us from getting in anytime soon."

"Carri…" Rocky said, frustration clear in his voice. "They weren't following us."

"Yes, they were." Carri insisted. "They were parked illegally right outside my condo, I saw the same car pull out of the park's community lot after we left, and then they followed us all the way here and parked a few cars down from us… but then they didn't get out."

"It was a coincidence." Rocky said.

"What's a coincidence?" Kim asked as she sat down, Tommy right behind her.

"Carri thinks someone is following her." Rocky said in a tired voice. Paranoia and hallucinations were a common side effect of some of the treatments she'd received on Aquitar, but he thought her well past that phase.

"Are they?' Kim asked, and Carri's yes firmly drowned out Rocky's no.

"Actually that idea isn't so farfetched." Tommy answered, a serious looking frown on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Rocky asked.

"Trini and Billy said someone's been poking around NASADA asking about Carri." Tommy answered and then filled the two in on what they had missed over the last three weeks.

Just before the Apis monster attacked, someone had filed a freedom of information request at NASADA for all information regarding Carri and Rocky. Someone was also mulling around asking why Carri, a television host, and her boyfriend were seen so much going in and out of the restricted gates inside the main complex, especially since there was no official record of her going in and out of those same gates. Trini had picked up on it immediately and brought it to Billy, who at first assumed it was the same tabloid who published a dirty story about Carri throwing her life away for her karate instructor.

Carri snorted at the memory of the article, but Rocky wasn't amused at all. Carri might be used to the tabloids, but the piece had been extremely embarrassing for him and had portrayed him pretty much as a gold digging loser from a trashy family. It went out of the way to mention his dad's previous arrests for drunkenness and his cousin's incarceration. Never mind he had three successful schools and scads of uncles, aunts, and other cousins who were successful professionals and business owners.

After tracing down the company who filed the request, as well as the private investigator asking questions, Tommy told them that it was determined that an off shore company that had nothing to do with the media or anything else related to Carri was responsible.

"So what do they want?" Carri asked, an uneasy feeling settling into her gut.

"I don't know yet." Tommy answered. "They backed off quick enough when we sent people after them, so we backed off too, but apparently the good behavior was only because you weren't around the last three weeks."

"So what do I do?"

Tommy shrugged. "Keep an eye out and be careful until we figure out who they really are and what they really want." He said.

"But what do we tell people if they start asking questions?" Rocky asked, unwilling to drop it.

"Officially, we're about to disclose that we're going to be using Ausus Productions to develop the information awareness programs for New Tech City." Tommy answered and Carri's eyes perked up. Her production company was only a few years old, but the few projects she and her dad had joint ventured had been extremely successful. "What we can say," Tommy continued "Is that we've simply been in negotiations with Ausus. That's why you've been in and out of the intergalactic areas normally off limits to civilians and other NASADA personnel."

"So, you're really going to give my company the contract for the awareness program?" Carri asked, the anger from this morning draining away and excitement finding its way back in her voice.

"Of course." Kim countered. "Who'd you think we would use?"

"I dunno, I mean Adam's company does similar stuff and he's been…"

"Carri! You're back!" A familiar accented voice called and Carri turned to see her cousin waving and making her way toward her.

"I just can't get a break today can I?" Carri muttered. The last thing she wanted to deal with today was her cousin. The Hillard family was furious at Carri for mouthing off and insulting Katherine. Carri had flung out an embarrassing incident that was supposed to have been a secret between their paternal grandmother and Katherine's father. No one else was supposed to have known about it and the revelation that someone had snitched, and now apparently everyone knew, had reverberated across both coastlines and embarrassed a lot of people.

But Carri had a side of the argument too that was being completely ignored. Katherine had firmly sided with Rocky's ex-girlfriend against her and although she really hadn't been all that nasty about it, Kat's defection was the last little insult Carri could take without completely blowing up.

Katherine had called and left several messages while she was gone and Adam had also pulled her aside on her return and told her that her cousin wanted to make peace, but Carri wasn't quite ready for that. She needed more time to figure out how to honestly call bygones. Her temper was already boiling over, she didn't need to be forced into dealing with her cousin as well. Anger or no, she put on a good face for the sake of the rest of her friends and smiled as her cousin reached the table, returning her hug.

"I've been so worried about you since I heard. How are you feeling?" Katherine asked.

"Tired, but happy to be back." Carri said.

"Are you sure?"

" I'm fine Kat, really." Carri insisted.

"Well you look fantastic."

"Would you like to join us?" Rocky interrupted and both Kim and Carri turned and shot him evil looks which he ignored. He knew Kat had left several messages saying she wanted to bury the hatchet and for Carri to call her as soon as she got back. Carri had deleted them and said she just didn't want to deal with it at the moment, but Rocky had a strong sense of family and since he couldn't patch things up with his own family before Thanksgiving, he thought he might at least try and get Carri to patch things up with hers.

"Uhm, I'm supposed to meet Chris." Katherine said hesitantly. On the one hand, she really wanted to make amends with her cousin, but on the other, Chris really didn't like her high school friends; especially Tommy. "His golf game ended at two and he was going to shower and meet me here after I finished at the school…I had no idea it would be this crowded though. It's usually dead in here between three and four."

"New promotion." Carri said wryly, "He's trying to draw the after school kids; it worked."

"Seriously Kat," Rocky said, ignoring his girlfriend's backward kick in the shin, "It'll take you forever to get a table and this one seats eight; there are only four of us. Just order Chris something and he can join us when he gets here."

"Alright.' Katherine agreed, smiling and taking a seat at the end of the table between Carri and Kim.

Kim twisted her new engagement ring around worriedly under the table as Katherine sat down. She hadn't seen or heard anything from Tommy's ex-girlfriend in the last three weeks since she had shown up at Tommy's house looking for Carri. Tommy had given her hell afterward about bailing on him and hiding in the bedroom, but it had given her an opportunity to call Aisha and she really hadn't wanted to face Katherine that night; the two had a bad tendency to start screaming at each other, despite the peace they'd made at the reunion, and she just wasn't up to it…plus it had been fun to let him torture her afterwards for being a bad girl. Kim wiped the slightly wicked smile off her face that particular memory induced.

It felt more weird than usual to be around Kat. She supposed it shouldn't, she was still part of the Ranger family. That wasn't going to change just because she and Tommy were back together. Adam had told Tommy that Katherine had taken the news pretty well. He didn't know all the details, but Tanya had taken her to lunch and reported that, although Katherine had some saucy words about their new relationship being a predictable occurrence, she really hadn't been all that phased by it either.

"I don't suppose you have some free time to shop afterwards?" Katherine asked Carri, breaking the silence that had settled around the table.

"I dunno know Kat." She replied. "Honestly, I'm always up for shopping, but I still get really tired in the afternoon and it's been a really long day." Carri said, adding silently that she still hadn't even begun to forgive her for the last shopping date they'd had together.

"Just maybe one or two stores? I'd love to show you the bridesmaids dresses and I'll buy you coffee after."

"I think you should Carri." Rocky added, receiving a stomp on the toe for his efforts.

"I live so far out of your way," Carri demurred. "And Rocky's taking the car we rode in to go see his uncle this afternoon." _And I really, really don't think I'm ready to kiss- and- make up on this of all days_, she thought.

Carri sighed deeply. She really did love her cousin and she honestly wanted the rift between them over, but today was not the day to mend fences. Her cousin was one of the sweetest people she knew, Carri just didn't want to be sweet today. She seriously wanted to trash something and if she left with Katherine after lunch, she knew damn well that something was going to be blond and blue eyed and very fond of pink.

"It's not a problem at all to drop you off." Katherine insisted. "I don't have any dance classes this week because of the holiday and I need to go over to the outlets near you anyway."

"Ok." Carri said hesitantly, with a slightly forced smile.

The table delved into silence again as the waitress came with Carri and Rocky's drinks and took their orders. She bounced off, promising to bring the other drinks as soon as she could and then another uncomfortable silence ensued.

Carri's temper was boiling, she was having a really bad day and her temper was pretty short on a good one. She knew that Rocky had meant well and she understood what he was trying to do, but she couldn't let it go yet…and today was the absolute wrong day to even try. All her cousin's comments from the last lunch they'd shared came steaming back to the surface and intensified her already foul mood. If she was smart, she knew she'd clamp her jaw shut and say nothing, but she just couldn't let her cousin's past digs go. Finally, she looked directly at Kim and asked, "So, speaking of wedding shopping, have you and your mom decided on the colors?"

Just for a second, Rocky thought Kim might actually jump across the table and slap her. He actually thought that might not be such a bad idea. What the hell did Carri think she was doing?

"That's right." Katherine said politely. "I almost forgot to congratulate you two." She fixed her eyes on Kim, purposely avoiding her ex boyfriend.

"Thank you." Kim returned in the same polite tone.

"Do you have your ring yet?" Carri asked, knowing full well that Tommy had picked it up earlier in the morning. Kim smiled tightly and nodded, slowly producing her left hand for Carri who reached out and grabbed it for a closer look; directly in front of Katherine.

"Wow." Carri crooned. "Good job Oliver. How many carats?"

"I'm really not sure." Kim said, pulling her hand back and giving Carri a warning look to behave as Kat's shoulders stiffened. She knew full well Carri could care less about engagement rings and hated wedding chatter. It was obvious that her ring was bigger than Kat's, but Kat's was an heirloom, a family treasure, and hers was new. They were both special.

"It's lovely." Katherine commented. "Very original."

"It's actually an anniversary ring." Kim said, feeling a bit odd discussing it. "But I liked it better than the more traditional ones."

"Kim wanted sunken stones that wouldn't snag in a fight like the other ring he gave her." Carri explained further and this time it was Tommy who glared at Carri.

"Other ring?" Katherine asked and before Tommy could warn her otherwise, Kim innocently produced the little ring he had designed for her when they were in high school, now residing on the fourth finger of her right hand. Kat's eyes widened and her jaw hardened, but she said nothing. Kim didn't miss the reaction and glanced hesitantly at Tommy, who met her gaze with a look that firmly told her not to ask until later.

Tommy swore under his breath. That little ring had been a huge point of contention between him and Kat. Although he had designed it and ordered it to be made when he was dating Kimberly, he hadn't finished paying for it until after he had begun dating Katherine. She had somehow found it one day and assumed it was for her, but her fingers were bigger than Kim's and it didn't fit. After examining the date on the sales slip a little closer she realized he'd been making payments on it for a long time and that the ring had to have been made for Kimberly. She'd been furious that he'd held on to it and demanded he sell it or give it away. He'd taken it back from her, promising to do so, but had never gotten around to parting with it. A few years later, when she found it in a box of his things after they had moved in together, she'd gone ballistic a second time, citing it as proof that he couldn't let go of Kimberly. He honestly didn't know if Kat's cousin had known about their fights over that ring or not, but the look he gave Carri was murderous. She at least had the decency to blanche in response.

"Have you found your dress?" Katherine asked sweetly, obviously tweaked but making a good effort to get past it.

"Ashley's making it for me." Kim answered softly, grateful for the topic change and sliding both hands under the table. "I don't know anything about it except the lace is from one of the trunks I found in the old house."

"Ashley Hammond? Katherine asked, surprised and Kim nodded. "What a coincidence. I asked her last August if she would do mine."

"Really?" Kim asked. "That's interesting." She said, giving Carri a pained look. She had the sinking feeling she wasn't going to be able to produce any good answers this afternoon.

"Well, I mean," Katherine continued. "We've been friends since high school."

"Oh." Kim said uncomfortably.

"I knew you'd met her through Carri, but…well she really doesn't design bridal gowns…she was doing it just for me. I was going to have the first and only one."

"Karone and I are good friends." Kim answered quickly, realizing this conversation was doomed, but trying to save it anyway. "It was Karone's idea, she asked if Ashley would do it for me and she said she'd be happy to." Actually, that was an out and out lie. She and Ashley had become pretty good friends as well in the past few months. The two had a lot in common and Ashley was appreciative of everything Kim had helped her with over the past few weeks since the fire. True, Karone had mentioned how lame the dresses they'd looked at were, but it was Ashley who had suggested she do the gown as a gift to her. She had mentioned that she'd been working hard on several designs lately, but Kim had no idea she'd been referring to her work with Katherine.

"Oh." Katherine said quietly, sliding her water glass back and forth slightly between her thumb and forefinger.

"So, have you set a date?" Rocky asked, trying to change the subject again.

"Memorial Day weekend.' Tommy offered and Katherine paled.

"Are you serious?" Carri asked, looking hesitantly at her cousin. She'd meant to tweak Kat as payback for what she'd said about her and Rocky, not start a war. Her eyes darted to Kim's and locked there.

"Yeah, why?" Kim asked cautiously.

"That's the same weekend Chris and I are getting married." Katherine said irritably.

"Oh." Kim answered flatly. "I didn't know that."  
"How could you not know?" Katherine asked, voice rising and slapping a hand on the table. "I've been telling everyone for months not to make plans that weekend."  
"I'm sorry Kat," Kim replied defensively. "I honestly forgot about it. It's not like I seriously expected an invitation."

"I chose that weekend." Tommy interjected trying to stave off the fight he clearly saw coming. "The Rush family reunion is that weekend, so all my mom's relatives will already be here."

"Oh." Kat said flatly and an uncomfortable silence followed in which everyone at the table except Katherine and Kimberly looked around the restaurant to see if they could spot the waitress.

"I guess that means Carri's not going to be able to be in your wedding." Katherine said after a few minutes of playing with her napkin.

"Why not?" Carri asked.

"Because you're one of my bridesmaids."

"You still want me to be one of your bridesmaids?" Carri asked in genuine surprise. She and Kat had been at each other's throats for months. Since she hadn't heard anything about ordering the dress, she'd just assumed she'd been written off.

"Of course I do." Katherine said heatedly, giving her a look that clearly said she was shocked Carri would think otherwise.

"Oh…uh, well…it's just that Kim asked me to be one of her maids of honor." Carri stuttered.

One of?" Katherine asked, turning to Kimberly.

"Well…one Matron of Honor, Trini, and two Maids of Honor…Aisha and …" Kim pointed at Carri who nodded. "I couldn't decide." Kim said sheepishly, "And they didn't care. So those three can figure it out between themselves and then I'll have my three step sisters as bridesmaids since Karone doesn't do weddings."

"Six." Kat said, a clear edge in her voice. "Which is exactly how many I had announced I was having, except my cousin and Aisha have apparently committed to yours too."

"Oh come on Kat," Kim laughed, uneasily; she was hungry, tired, and grouchy and she was going to lose her temper really quick if this conversation didn't turn around really fast. "I don't exactly move in the same circles you do, how would I know your wedding plans."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I haven't seen you in almost four months, and before that nearly five years. How could I have possibly have known you had six bridesmaids and who they were?"

"Because you're friends with Carri, Aisha and Tonya and all of them knew; plus I said it more than once at the reunion. Six has always been my lucky number; it's a huge part of my theme."

Kim sighed deeply. She'd been a little too busy at the reunion to listen to Katherine gibber on about her engagement. She refused to let herself get angry. If Carri couldn't be at her wedding, she'd be really disappointed, but she'd understand. Katherine was family and Carri's parents and brother would definitely be attending Kat's wedding. It made sense and she wouldn't fret over it. As for Aisha, Kim would give up one maid of honor, but not both.

This was exactly why she didn't want a big wedding, Kim thought miserably. The whole big wedding thing was her mother's idea anyway. The longer they made plans, the better eloping in Vegas sounded.

"I'm fine with five." Kim said evenly. "It's not like it really matters how many attendants the bride has."

"Four." Katherine answered curtly. "Aisha's in my wedding party too."

"Excuse me?" Carri asked defensively, interrupting them, "I think I can make my own plans that day." If given the choice between her best friend and a cousin she'd been at war with on and off for years, she was choosing the friend.

"Seriously Carri, its fine. Kat is family, you really need to stay with your first commitment and not bail on her." She said firmly and Katherine nodded and seemed to relax a little.

Carri glared at her and clamped her jaw shut, but said nothing. This day just wasn't going to get any better for her. Every time it started to turn around, something else came crashing down. She'd only accepted Kat's invitation to be a bridesmaid because they were cousins and she'd never have heard the end of it from her mother if she'd refused. It wasn't like she was Kat's maid of honor or anything, she was only a stupid bridesmaid in a stupid pink taffeta gown with stupid matching shoes.

"Hold on," Rocky interjected and the three women at the table shot him warning looks to stay out of it. "When are the ceremonies?"

"Four." Katherine said evenly.

"Five-thirty." Kim said immediately after.

"So you see?" Rocky said, "Maybe Carri could do both."

"Except that she's needed at the Grand immediately after my ceremony for pictures and the wedding party's introductions." Katherine answered testily. "She'll throw off my entire album if she's not there."

"Where did you say you're having the reception?" Tommy asked sullenly, sinking down in his chair.

"The Lakeside Grand, where the reunion was on the second night."

"Oh god." Tommy groaned, hands rubbing his eyes.

"Please tell me that's not the place you just booked us." Kim said, voice dripping with the frustration she felt. He'd been so proud of himself that he'd finally found a venue her mother was happy with. Memorial Day weekend was apparently a prime date and most places were already booked well in advance when they had started looking.

"It was the only place in town big enough that had openings. We only got it because another party cancelled when they saw how torn up the deck and back wall still is."

"That's impossible.' Katherine said, her voice rising. "I booked all three adjoining ballrooms. My wedding's huge; more than four hundred people are expected. They're coming in from all over the world. I've got one hundred and forty-nine hotel rooms already reserved there and a block on another fifty-one."

"Well, they told me that night was free because the other party canceled." Tommy said.

"I most certainly did not cancel it!" Katherine howled and several people turned around to look at her.

"Calm down." Carri said, putting a hand on her cousin's arm. "I'm sure there's an explanation."

"It's alright Kat." Kim also soothed. "If there's been a mistake, at least we know each other. The hotel can give Tommy his deposit back and we'll give up that night. End of problem."

"I just can't believe this." Katherine said, voice lower, but still obviously upset. "It's bad enough you move back to town and take Zeo one's powers, then go out and suddenly get engaged to Tommy after years of denying there was anything between you two, but after all my hard work and planning…now you have to go and copy my wedding too?"

"I am not copying your wedding Katherine.' Kim said testily, anger rising. "And excuse me, but he was _my_ boyfriend long before you moved in on him...and if you want to start on usurping powers…"

"Alright." Tommy said, sliding his chair back and physically picking Kim up and out of her chair. "I think we'll just ask for our order to go." He said, wrapping his arm tightly around Kim's chest, pinning her arms and holding her firmly against him. She growled at him in response and her eyes flared into an angry shade of red. At that precise moment, all four communicators went off.

"Someone remind me to kiss Zedd.' Carri muttered under her breath as she stood up. The conversation was her fault, and she'd accept responsibility for being an idiot, but that didn't mean she wasn't glad for an excuse to run from it.

"Two days in a row?" Rocky asked.

"Let's move.' Tommy said, turning Kim around and pushing her towards the exit.

"Kat, uhm… I'm really sorry." Carri said, indicating her communicator.

"Oh I understand." Katherine said bitterly, sinking back in her chair.

As the four made a hasty exit, her fiancé Chris arrived at the table. Turning around to look at the four departing people he gave her a questioning look.

"Did I just miss something?" He asked.

* * *

"Rangers you're just in time to meet Lord Zedd and Rita's first joint creation; Copy Cat." Sirius greeted them diplomatically as they transported to the scene. Carri rolled her eyes under her helmet. She'd been dealing with a copy cat all day, so now they send down a monster named Copy Cat. Life was just peachy sometimes. 

"Alright pussycat," Carri yelled, slamming her fist into her palm, "Let's catfight."

"I'll be happy to oblige." Copy Cat called back, "But first you need to deal with them." Copy Cat crooned, sending several waves of claybots at them with a simple gesture of her paw.

"You would think maybe we could get a little variation in the fight plan." Kim drolled, moving into position with Carri.

"It's called Copy Cat and you're looking for it to do something original?" Jason barked, coming into formation with Rocky.

The Rangers fully occupied fighting the claybots, Copy Cat scanned the battlefield. She wasn't sure which Ranger to go after first, but for some reason she felt an unnatural disgust toward the yellow one who had mouthed off at her. She was like a tempting little yellow canary flittering around. Yellow was such a sallow color to wear, she wouldn't be caught dead in it. "Oh yellow Ranger..." She sang over the noise of the battle waving her paw in a silly gesture.

Carri turned and saw the monster waving at her. Now that was a new twist, since when was she the one being singled out; well, singled out before purposely drawing attention to herself. The wave of claybots pulled back and as Kim partnered up with Tommy, Carri found herself face to face in a small clearing with Copy Cat. The monster initiated a false attack and like an untrained idiot, she actually fell for it. Rebounding and attacking in earnest, she found herself quickly suspended high in the air with beams of energy coming from Copy cat's claws. She hung suspended for a few seconds more before another jolt pummeled her and she was thrown across the battlefield.

"Carri!" Rocky yelled as she hit the ground

Carri shook her head forcefully, but quickly pulled herself to her feet. "I'm ok." she called back.

"Not for long." An angry voice said. Not just any voice… her voice. Frowning, she stood up to see that Copy Cat had made a replica of her. The shadow twin was nearly identical, right down to her Ranger's uniform; except this Rangers uniform was black where hers was yellow, and yellow where hers was white. Before she had much of a chance to register what was going on, Copy Cat's Shadow Ranger kicked her backwards; hard.

Carri stood and charged at the Ranger, who easily matched her move for move.

"Do I need glasses or is that another Ranger?" Jason asked, eyes going back and forth between Carri and her doppelganger.

"Watch out, Copy Cat can apparently replicate you." Carri warned.

But it was too late for Jason. With his attention caught by Carri's fight with her replica, Copy Cat was able to get behind him, creating a double of the green Ranger as well.

"Oh, this is so not good." Kim groaned. "Guys watch it, if that double has even a fraction of Jason's Muirantian power, we're in serious trouble."

"Let Jason handle his shadow." Tommy said, moving directly in front of her and standing in-between Kim and Copy Cat. "I want you back in the Command Center, now." He ordered. Kim started to protest, but he cut her off." Do you honestly want another evil version of you cross hopping through dimensions?"

"You've got a point." Kim said, and transported out.

Jason looked up at his double with a sinking feeling. Tommy was right to send Kim away, but what he didn't know was that Jason still possessed the Phoenix Crystal. If this was a true replica, it not only had Jason's power, but some of Kim's as well. Hopefully, the twin hadn't realized what it really was yet. Jason jumped up and leaped at him, trying to take him down or at the very least keep him away from the others. If this stayed a physical fight, they were fine, if the two started using powers…they were in serious trouble.

On the other side of the clearing, Carri was easily being worn out by Shadow Yellow. Trying to quickly gain the advantage, she called on her weapon. "Double clubs!" she yelled, gripping the weapon firmly as it materialized in her hands.

"Shadow daggers!" the other Ranger hissed in response and Carri cringed. Ok, so maybe they weren't carbon copies...this was definitely not going to be good day.

Tommy and Rocky regrouped back to back, fighting together against the claybots. "We have to be careful." Tommy warned gesturing toward Jason then Carri, "Keep your eyes open for that cat or we'll end up fighting ourselves."

Rocky nodded. "Where is she?" He asked as he kicked a viratron back away from its squadron.

"I don't know." Tommy replied "Just keep an eye..."

"Surprise." Copy Cat said from behind, interrupting Tommy and getting a jump on the blue and red Rangers. She held them both high in the air before shocking them as well.

They hit the ground with a hard thud, rolling to absorb some of the impact. As they stood and turned around, they simultaneously came face to face with Shadow Red and Shadow Blue. "Welcome to your worst nightmare." Shadow Red growled.

"I've already fought this fight." Tommy spat back. "And you lost."

As Shadow Red began his attack, Rocky went after Shadow Blue. Fighting yourself was never a good thing, you had to look deep within you, push the envelope, and press yourself into resisting the easy tried and true reflexes in favor of the new and untried.

"Switch styles." Tommy whispered hoarsely as he and Rocky slammed into each other again, back to back.

"Huh?" Rocky asked, kicking his twin away.

"Switch fighting styles, vary between the different approaches of the other's you've fought or sparred with. It'll confuse your double, he's expecting to match you move to move."

"Got it." Rocky called, springing off Tommy and using the momentum to pummel his doppelganger with one of Jason's signature kick, punch combinations.

* * *

"Zedd, look! It's working!" Rita squealed. 

"Yes," Zedd replied, an edge of excitement in his voice. "It actually is."

"We should have tried this weeks ago!" She said, jumping up and down. She might not be at full power, but at least Zedd knew she wasn't worthless.

"The battle's not over yet witch." He growled.

* * *

As the fight continued below, the Rangers found themselves quickly tiring. They were equally matched move for move, with the Shadow Rangers adjusting just as quickly as the Rangers varied their techniques. The battle seemed a stale mate until Shadow Yellow clicked her daggers together and smashed Carri across the chest. Carri flew back and landed at the feet of Copy Cat. 

"Yellow Ranger, how nice of you to join me." Copy Cat purred, as she protracted her claws menacingly.

"You don't like me do you?" Carri asked, glaring back at the overgrown fluff ball and Copy Cat responded by using her claws to electrically jolt the yellow Ranger at her feet.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" She crooned.

Carri gasped in pain as all the energy flowed through her. "Oh just an intuition." She groaned.

Jason saw the attack and leaped over Shadow Green, simultaneously using his pistol to fire on Copy Cat. The monster temporarily lost her balance and stumbled backwards on her stilettos and he ran forward to help Carri up off the ground.

"This is how to use your pistols." Shadow Green yelled as he ran toward Carri and Jason. As he fired, both Rangers flew through the air, hitting the ground again hard. Carri laid still for a moment, trying to catch her breath. "I should have just stayed in bed this morning." she groaned, slowly picking herself back up. Her head ached and she was more than a little woozy from fight.

"You should transport back and let Billy take a look at you." Jason said "Seriously Car, you only just got back from Aquitar. Don't undo everything they were able to do for you."

Carri shook her head no. "I'll be fine."

"You don't look fine." Jason insisted, and before she could protest gain, he pulled his communicator to his mouth and had Billy teleport her up.

"Where'd the yellow birdie go?" Shadow Yellow asked, jumping in front of Jason in a battle ready stance.

"Like I'd tell you." Jason replied nastily as he kicked her backward. Shadow Green took advantage the distraction to join the attack on him from behind and he soon found himself facing two Shadow Rangers, not one.

Tommy saw the change in tactics, but he and Rocky were still struggling against their own doubles. When Shadow Blue used the Shadow ax to stun Rocky, sending him flying back, Tommy was also hit hard with a sucker punch from his own twin. Both Rangers smacked hard into each other and hit the ground with a thud.

"Didn't see that one coming.' Tommy muttered.

"Switch off." Rocky called out, jumping up and flying through the air to hit Shadow Red with his ax. Tommy followed suit and hit Shadow Blue with his sword.

Tommy found himself struggling, and it wasn't a good feeling. Not only was he fighting the Shadows, but Sirius had decided to try and take hits at him as well with something that looked like a long black bokken, but the thing was charged with a nasty whistling green energy that hurt his ears and stung like hell. He was finding it a bit tricky to hold off both advances at once as they swung their weapons at him simultaneously. Using his sword on the Shadow Ranger, he was able to throw him back for a moment then quickly turned his attention to Sirius to try and take him out before the Shadow Ranger regrouped.

For a pathetic looking, little bug eyed lizard, Sirius was a damn good warrior and as Tommy focused in on not getting stung by the bokken, or worse, the Shadow Ranger utilized the distraction to come up from behind and smash him with his own specialized attack. Tommy went flying and landed unceremoniously in a pile along with his fellow Rangers. The three guys looked up as one and found themselves staring into the faces of the four Shadows and Copy Cat.

* * *

"We need to help them." Carri said, watching things on screen from the medical bed. 

"You're clear." Billy pronounced and gestured for her to up.

Carri jumped up and prepared to morph then stopped, looking over at Kim. "What if I go in as a Ninjetti? They don't have those powers right?"

Kim swung around from the screen she'd been watching with Trini in the main room and looked at Billy questioningly. He thought for a moment, then said, "The Shadow Rangers wouldn't be expecting a Ninjetti, but those powers aren't nearly as strong as the Zeo powers. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"True, but they wouldn't know how to handle a Ninjetti, let alone two Ninjettis, which may give us the advantage." Kim added.

"Providing Copy Cat didn't copy those powers as well." Billy warned. "We don't know yet how much power the Shadows possess."

"Tommy ordered you out of the fight for a good reason Kim." Trini said calmly, knowing how badly her friend wanted back to the action.

"I concur." Billy added "We still don't know how exact those replicas are. We can't risk another Kimora."

"But I can still go." Carri insisted. Before anyone could tell her otherwise, she yelled, "Ninjetti-panther!"

* * *

Carri flew onto the scene with a vengeance and stood in between her fellow Rangers and the Shadow Rangers. "Hey Shadows, how do you like me now?" she asked. The Shadow's looked at her oddly and moved as one to attack, but the Ninjetti was way too quick for them. Jason starred at her for a second, ready to slap her for trying something so stupid, then realized what she was trying to do. "Ninjetti- cougar!" he called. 

Two Ninjettis against four Shadow Rangers wasn't very good odds, but Tommy and Rocky weren't done with the fight either. The battle began again, and this time the Shadows found themselves the ones having a hard time keeping up. The Ninjetti declined to fight the Shadow Rangers head on, instead they maneuvered around them, getting cheap shots in when they could. Frustrated, the Shadow Rangers began to slow, not understanding the new techniques and never quite able to figure out where the Ninjettis were or what their next move was going to be. After only a few minutes of fighting, the Shadow Rangers regrouped and stood by Copy Cat and Sirius.

"We'll be back Rangers." Sirius hissed. He raised his bokken over his head and transported the evil creatures back to the Lunar Palace, leaving the Rangers on Earth.

"I'm not sure I'd call this a victory." Jason said, breathing heavily as they left.

"Me neither." Tommy agreed. "Let's get back to the Command Center."

* * *

"I've got good news, and I've got bad news." Billy said as they powered down. 

"Good news first. We need it after that." Rocky said, wrapping his arms around Carri from the back and tucking his chin on her shoulder.

"If you destroy Copy Cat, you'll also destroy the Shadow Rangers." Billy told them.

"Let me guess the bad news, we can't get past the Shadow Rangers." Carri said sighing.

Kim shook her head no. "Actually that's good news too. I know how to bypass the Shadow Rangers."

The Rangers turned as one to look at her, but it was Billy who continued. "In doing my analysis, I found that their power source is drawn from directly from solar energy." He paused and regarded the Rangers seriously. "Unfortunately, to drain their energy, we have to draw them into battle when the sun can't re-charge them."

Jason couldn't help but laugh at their situation. "Great." He said sarcastically "I doubt they're stupid enough to fight at night."

"To complicate matters, Copy Cat is human." Billy added.

"Since when does this Rita and Zedd pick on civilians?" Rocky asked.

"Lizzie." Carri supplied. The other Rangers turned and looked at her. "Lizzie Bannon was my assistant on _Boutique Style_, she quit in a huff a few months back and is about to debut a copy cat version of my show, airing at the same time on a different network. It makes sense. Rita and Zedd have probably been watching me since I traded places again with Karone. I went off on Lizzie in the park this afternoon for copying me, Copy Cat seems to hate me more than any of you guys, and look at the name…Copy Cat."

"She has a point." Tommy said. "It's not exactly an un-original idea for Zedd to come up with, especially if he's starting to become more and more like the old Zedd. But whoever the monster is, how do we destroy it without hurting the human she came from?"

"Actually," Billy said "If we assume the precedent is still the same as a decade ago, then by destroying Copy Cat we should rescue the human inside, not hurt her."

"And if we're wrong?" Tommy asked, hesitation clear in his voice.

"Do we have any better ideas?" Rocky asked. The Rangers looked at each other for a moment, then all turned to Tommy, who slowly nodded his head.

"Then it's settled, we destroy Copy Cat and hope that saves Lizzie." Kim said looking over at her teammates.

Jason snickered wickedly. "This should be easy. Carri's been waiting all day to kick the crap out of her, and here's her chance."

"You told him?" Rocky asked.

"He was over at the condo raiding the frig when I opened my mail." She said dismissively and Jason grinned sheepishly.

"You guys went grocery shopping when you got home, it was full." He said unrepentantly.

"Do you always go over to my girlfriend's house when I'm at work?" Rocky asked, a definite edge to his voice.

"Rocky, he just needed to talk to me about…uh, Adam's medical exam." Carri said, saving Jason the embarrassment of the others learning he'd come over to talk about running into Emily.

"Why would you…" Rocky started, and Carri shushed him with a warning look.

Before Rocky could say the next thing that came to his mind, Tommy interjected, "Destroying Copy cat is obviously a good goal, but we still haven't figured out what to do with the Shadow Rangers."

"That's where I get a chance to help with the fight." Kim grinned. "We need an eclipse in the middle of the day. Since none are scheduled, you guys are gonna have to use a little good old fashioned magic to make one."

"Oh gee, and just who do we know who's trained as a sorceress?" Jason said blandly and Kim smiled sweetly at him.

"You can do that?" Tommy asked and she grinned at him.

"Of course, it's not a real eclipse, just a shadow. Shadows are the first thing a sorceress learns to manipulate, which is probably why we're dealing with them now; seeing that this Rita's just starting out. But, the ingredients I need to make a big enough shadow to cover the sun don't grow on the surface world. I'm going to have to go get them…and I might also need a little help gathering everything." She said, looking over at Carri.

"You're actually gonna take me with you this time?"

"Only if you want to go." Kim shrugged.

"How much time do you need?" Tommy asked and then rolled his eyes when she gave him a sardonic look. "Ok, ok." He said. "How long before we're ready to go back to action and you can pull off a solar eclipse on demand?"

Kim thought for a minute, then said, "Once I have everything I need back here, sorted, and ready to put together in order… maybe half an hour?"

"Alright then, go get your stuff, the rest of us need to come up with a way to draw the Shadow Rangers back in the open… and we also need to warn the other Rangers on the planet of what we're going to do. A lot of us depend on solar power, I don't want anyone put in danger unnecessarily."

* * *

Exactly half an hour later the team was gathered around Kimberly, watching her curiously as she sorted and assembled various odd looking objects and plants. "The sun will block out completely much faster than in a normal eclipse," Kim warned as she made the last of her preparations. "Once the sky is completely black, you'll only have about thirty minutes before the sun starts to break through the shadow, so you need to make it quick." 

"So do we call them or do we wait for them to call us?" Jason asked, but the question was answered for them as the Command Center's alarms went off.

"Speaking of which…." Rocky said as the screen showed Copy Cat and the Shadows were back in Angel grove Park.

"Let's not keep them waiting." Tommy said.

* * *

The team teleported to the center of the action and drew Copy Cat's attention while Kim teleported nearby behind several bushes and began preparations. It wasn't a hard spell, but the size required would make it tricky to hold together. 

As soon as they hit the ground, Copy Cat ordered the Shadows to attack. They fought fiercely and this time the Shadows seemed a little more prepared for the Ninjettis mischief. After what seemed like an eternity, the light suddenly began to dim and then complete darkness fell over the city like a smoky blanket.

The Shadow Rangers slowly stopped moving and came to a halt like little wind up dolls that had lost their keys. The other Rangers paused only momentarily to look around them. Kim was right, it wasn't like a real eclipse, the sky above was full of black and purple rolling clouds and it was obvious what they were seeing wasn't natural.

"Let's not waste our shot guys." Tommy said as they reformed and attacked Copy Cat head on with Carri taking the lead.

She charged, pistol drawn and firing several rounds into Copy Cat's back. Jason was right, it was kind of nice to beat the crap her. Even though it was more the monster than Lizzie she was beating up on, it was still somewhat satisfying to hammer out her aggression on the source.

"Hey, let us in on the fun." Rocky said leaping up and attacking Copy Cat with his axe and was quickly followed by blasts from both Tommy and Jason.

"You can't stop me." Copy Cat growled, using the energy beams from her claws to fling the Rangers back.

"Guess again." Tommy said as they regrouped and pulled all their weapons together. A few seconds later they fired on Copy Cat, bringing her down. Not to anyone's surprise, she rose from the flames and grew high above their heads.

The Rangers were quick to call on the zords, fighting individually for a few minutes before Kim showed up and they brought them all together; destroying Copy Cat with the megazord's saber just seconds before the sunlight broke through the artificial eclipse.

Landing close to the smoking wreckage, the Rangers jumped to the ground and fanned out in search of Lizzie. It didn't take them long to spot her. Not too far from where Copy Cat had once stood, sat a very frightened Lizzie Banna.

"You're ok now miss." Rocky said

"I doubt that." Carri whispered snidely from the back. Jason elbowed her hard and she crossed her arms and glared at Lizzie through her helmet.

"What happened to me?" She asked.

Tommy stepped forward. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Leaving the monument." Lizzie replied. "Was I attacked by a monster?" She asked in awe that real live Power Rangers were surrounding her.

"Actually Lord Zedd and Rita made you into the monster." Kim replied.

" I'm a monster?" She squeaked, hands covering her mouth and eyes wide.

Jason shook his head no. "No, you're fine now. Maybe you should go home and get some rest."

"Yeah. Maybe I will." She replied, allowing Tommy and Rocky to help her up.

* * *

"Well," Rita said cautiously as they watched Lizzie walk off the edge of viewing globe's screen. "That was…ah…that was..." 

"A good first effort." Zedd pronounced.

"Yes…yes, we need time to adjust to each other's powers…to coordinate…"

"To make it stronger next time." Zedd added.

"And angrier….we need to start with someone angrier." Rita concluded.

"Obviously it will take a while to get the hang of this new technique." Zedd agreed.

"Yes," Rita agreed. "Time and a little practice, but we did pretty good didn't we?"

As Sirius watched in horror, they walked off together, leaving the throne room and planning their next attack.

* * *

"Can we talk?" Jason asked and Emily felt her heart jump about ten feet. She hadn't seen anyone in the parking lot as she walked to her car and he had come out of nowhere and scared her. 

"I didn't even see you." She gasped, taking a huge breath.

"Most people don't." He said. "Not until I want them to."

"Is that what all you people do or just you?"

"What do you mean _you people_?" He asked, slightly offended.

She tilted her head in a sarcastic gesture he remembered from the days they had dated. "You know, I could never figure out what that damn wrist pager was for. It never failed, no matter what time of day or night we decided to get together it would always end up going off and you and your friends would bolt with one stupid excuse or another."

"Not always." He responded lamely, only to receive another patient yet frustrated look. "Ok, many times….most, most times." He tried to give her an impish smile, but she just rolled her eyes.

"And your other friends from back then…Adam, Tommy, the others? They're all Rangers too?"

"Who said anything about anyone being Rangers?" He countered evenly.

"Oh come on Jase."

"We were kids…just volunteers."

"Yeah, and isn't that your same cover ten years later? Just volunteers? Volunteers don't need tons of security precautions and that injury of Adam's didn't happen in a fall down the stairs, something beat the crap out him and cut up his sacral nerve; a first year intern would recognize that."

Jason gave her a cautious look. He wasn't sure why he followed her out to her car anymore than he understood why he'd been skulking around the parking lot for the last three hours since defeating Copy Cat. Curiosity was the bigger part of it. He had just been talking to Kim about her a few days ago. They had been talking about the irony of her and Tommy seeing each other again at the reunion and getting back together, let alone their mad dash to get married in six months. Emily had graduated a year ahead of him and from a different high school, so he knew he'd probably never see her again at reunions, but talking with Kim about high school had gotten him thinking about her again and he wondered now if the Power had been trying to tell him something.

He hadn't tried to stay in touch with her at all when he'd left for college. They had broken things off on sad, but fairly good terms and both had simply gone their separate ways. She'd been faithful in the Christmas cards for a few years, but he had never written or called her back. Then his powers had gone crazy and the next thing he knew it was a decade later.

When he didn't answer her, she gave him a measuring look and hit the remote unlocked button on her keychain again. "What do you want Jase." She said, opening the door and putting it between them. He shrugged and reached out to hold the doorframe.

"Just floored to see you is all…here especially." He said, indicating the NASADA complex.

"What, you thought I'd wait tables for my uncle all my life?" She asked testily.

"No." He said, grinning at her. "I knew you were finishing your Associate degree in nursing."

"And you were possibly also wondering how and RN goes from an Associate's degree to a medical degree?"

Jason shrugged casually and nodded, "With a lot of hard work I'd imagine."

"To put it mildly." She answered.

In truth it had been a lot harder than she could have ever imagined. Money had always been the biggest obstacle. Going straight to college from high school was an expense no one could help her with, and one she really couldn't afford; although her uncle had tried to help her. She had started out in the nursing program at Angel Community and then leapfrogged from there.

At first all she had wanted was a nursing job at the neuro-care facility caring for her father since his motorcycle accident, but nurses only put into practice the tried and true procedures, they don't go out and discover anything new and different, so she'd kept going back to school. Fortunately Dr. Iwate had been a very good friend of her uncle from his Peace Corp days. He had had been impressed with her tenacity and mentored and directed and even financed part of her education.

Medical school had been painful, and it wasn't like she went to the most prestigious Caribbean schools around, but she'd managed to crawl through, get her diploma, and pass her licensing exams by the skin of her teeth. That hurdle complete, Dr. Iwate had helped her get a good, solid residency at a fairly prestigious teaching hospital. It wasn't in the best neighborhood she could have hoped for, but the training had been fantastic. The past few years had consisted of long hard days and many, many sleepless nights. Somehow, the time between turning twenty-one and thirty had simply vanished, but she'd made it through to the other side. She still had a bit more training to go in her specialty, but when Dr. Iwate had offered her a chance to finish the last of that training while also working on the New Tech City Project, she'd eagerly accepted. Jason Scott was the last person she thought she'd run into on her first day of work; although she had thought about him when she moved her stuff back to Angel Grove.

"Can I buy you dinner?" Jason asked, pulling her thoughts back into the present.

"No." She answered firmly.

"Why?"

"Because you never wrote me back asshole, that's why. You just drove off on that stupid Harley you got for graduation and vanished into thin air."

Jason half shrugged one shoulder and made an odd face. "I had a lot going on Em." He said honestly, thinking of his Muirantian adventure with Kim. "Look, knowing me is dangerous. As a civilian you were safer being held at a distance. The galaxy's not a very secure place and the longer you're involved in NASADA, the more you're gonna find that out for yourself."

"So knowing you now is any safer?"

"Safer in the sense you now have clearance to know what to watch out for." He said sheepishly.

She rolled her eyes and exhaled in frustration. Dating him had been out of the ordinary for her. He wasn't the carbon copy, stereotypical surfer dude she'd been attracted to in high school. She had been basically on her own at that point, although her uncle was technically watching out for her, and she'd been so focused on putting herself through school, it had surprised her that she actually enjoyed his company. Jason was a whole year and half younger than she was, but he was by far the most mature and focused guy she'd known. She had been disappointed when he left for college, but she'd also had her own life to focus on.

"What color were you?" She asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"What color Ranger uniform, I want to know." She said.

He closed his eyes and let out a huge sigh, looking anywhere except her face. Finally, his eyes took on a very serious look, one that said very clearly to her that he was not someone to be messed with. "You want that information, then you'll have to accept my offer to take you to dinner."

* * *

"Well," Tommy sighed as he dropped down beside Kim on the bed where she'd been reading a book. "Problem solved…sort of." 

"Did they give you your money back?" Kim asked, not looking up. It wasn't like she really cared, the Grand was really nice and she'd been excited that it was free, but a big hoopla reception wasn't high on her list of must haves. If they had to give up the Grand, then they'd find someplace else a little further out of town or they'd just have an outdoor reception up at the house. They had enough months to get some decent landscaping in and they certainly had enough acreage out there."

"Nope," Tommy said, rubbing his eyes with his palms.

"No?" she asked, putting the book down.

"The Hillard/Black wedding is booked on Saturday night. We're booked on Sunday night."

"Tommy…." She said with exasperation, "Mom's booked the church for Saturday."

"Yeah, I know…I screwed up. How hard will it be to get the church for Sunday instead?"

Kim's heavy sigh turned into giggles and she slapped him with her book. "And I thought the Oliver syndrome was a thing of the past."

"Nah, I just hide it well." He grinned. "Seriously Beautiful, we're booked for the afternoon and whole night, if we can't get a church, we could always get married on the deck outside by the lake. It looks really horrible now, which is why the other party backed out, but they swear it'll be finished before our weekend. Would you be really disappointed?"

"No." She said, putting the book down and cuddling up next to him, head on his shoulder. "Mom wants the church. I think I like your idea better."

* * *

"What are you working on so late?" Rocky asked, tossing his keys on the table next to Carri's piles of papers and kissing her on the top on her head. He'd stayed later at his uncle's than he'd wanted too, but he'd had a lot to discuss with him about what was going on with his family. 

Carri seldom worked late at night unless she had to, but she was also three full weeks behind and she had spent more than a few hours shopping with her cousin after the battle with the Copy Cat. She smiled at him brightly and pulled his head back down with her arm, kissing him thoroughly.

"You're in a better mood." He said, kissing her again and then taking a seat next to her. The kitchen table was strewn with papers, disks, and folders all around her laptop. She had a desk upstairs, but Rocky had never actually seen her use it for anything other than storage. "Have a good shopping trip with your cousin?"

"Nah, that was horrendous." She said, stapling some papers and tossing them aside. "First she goes ballistic on the cell phone to her wedding coordinator, then goes ballistic again to some poor lady at the Grand before the coordinator even has a chance to call and see what's up. The car was literally swerving back and forth over the yellow line."

"Jesus." Rocky said with feeling. The last thing he wanted to hear after three weeks of fretting for her life on Aquitar was that her cousin's crazy driving almost got her killed. He folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on them.

"But then we found out that the Hart/Oliver wedding reception was booked for Sunday, not Saturday and we giggled like crazy imagining Kim's face when Tommy admitted he booked the wrong night."

Rocky laughed softly, rubbing his forehead against his arms. "That sounds like a Tommy thing to do...well, a high school Tommy thing. He's usually more on top of things than that."

"Maybe being in love again caused him to relapse." She offered, turning back to her screen as something caught her attention.

He reached out and idly stacked a few CD's together that she had scattered across the desk while she typed a response back to someone. "So was that it?"

"Oh no." Carri said with feeling. "After that we went to the bridal shop and I got fitted for my dress…it's the most hideous thing I've ever seen…seriously, I had no idea my cousin was so stuck in the nineties."

"What color is it?" He asked and she gave him an annoyed look.

"As it turns out, each bridesmaid is a different shade of pink which gets progressively lighter as we get closer to the bride." Carri put both hands under her chin and batted her eyelashes in a silly gesture. "I'm five-six, which apparently means I'm at the end of the line and my taffeta is a nice bright shade of fuchsia."

Rocky tried hard not to grin at the mental image of Carri in a bright pink taffeta dress, but he couldn't help it. She caught his look and giggled too. "But we did manage to forgive each other." She added, "Sort of…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means as long as Kim keeps her wedding on Sunday, which she'd be an idiot not to do since both Aisha and I and a lot of other people are supposed to be at Kat's wedding on Saturday, then Kat and I have declared a truce."

"And if she doesn't?" He asked. Carri made a face at him but didn't answer. "Well, I'm glad you're back in a good mood." He said, sitting up and stretching his arms behind his neck. "Beating the crap out of Lizzie must have been therapeutic after all, but I kinda felt sorry for her; getting turned into a monster, I mean."

"Yeah, me too." Carri admitted, "But it did feel good…even if she won't remember it."

"You think she learned her lesson?" Rocky asked and Carri shrugged.

"It really doesn't matter." She said a bit too calmly for Rocky's taste. His eyebrows went up and she shrugged. "I mean…I'm pretty much done with that show, I gave it all I could. It's time to move on to the next project. Lizzie only copied me because I'm good at what I do and I've been so successful. I need to take a deep breath and realize how flattering that really is."

Rocky stared at her for a full five seconds before he burst out laughing. Barely eight hours ago she'd embedded her cell phone into the drywall; the same phone that he'd have to try and dig out tomorrow.

"You can't be serious." He said, still laughing.

"Stop." She said, giving a sardonic look. "I'm entitled to a mature moment every once in a while. It just took me a while to make my peace with the situation.

"Uh..huh.." Rocky said unbelievingly.

"I'm serious." Carri insisted.

Rocky shrugged, but still gave her a skeptical look. "So how much more of this do you have?" He asked, pushing one of her papers with his finger.

"I'm finished for the night." She said, leaning back and stretching. "The rest can wait until tomorrow."

She started to pick up her papers and put them in varies piles when a few titles caught his eye. "Are these more press releases from the critics on your new season?" He asked.

"Uhm…no, not exactly." She said, pulling the papers together a bit faster.

"Then what are they?"

"Nothing. Seriously babe, just really boring production stuff."

"Nothing? You go usually ape when this stuff comes in. Let me see."

"Seriously." She said, holding the papers against her chest and backing away from him. "It's really nothing."

"Carri…" He said, and her shoulders deflated.

"Ok fine…my dad sent them to me. They were released this afternoon because the judge ruled this morning, east coast time, that Lizzie's show could go ahead and air."

As she handed him the papers he realized they were the reviews from various critics, not for Carri's show, but for Lizzie's premiere on Sunday. His eyebrows went up a little and he gave her a questioning look. The first review was scathing. "_Stylish Shopping is nothing more than a discount outlet version of the original_." He read out loud. The second page was just as bad. "_Lizzie Banna is no Carri Hillard, she would have done well to remain an assistant rather than produce such a poor copy with her named stamped across it_."

"Read the one from Raven Cousins, she's the one who hates me and my show with a passion." Carri said, pretending to absently chew her nail.

"Why does she hate you?"

"Uhm… I dunno…maybe because I might have accidentally dated her husband once or twice about six years ago…but I swear I tossed him when I found out he was already engaged and heading to the altar." She admitted. "Read it…go on." She said, waving her hand at him.

Rocky thumbed through the pile until finding the one from Raven Cousins. "_Although it pains this critic to give any nod whatsoever to Hillard, her hot temper and demanding production style make Boutique Style one of the more well rounded fluff shows on the nouveau riche networks. Lizzie Banna may have been Hillard's former assistant, but it is painfully obvious she has learned nothing more than how to poorly mimic the tried and true. Stylish Shopping is a crude attempt to re-create the semi genre Hillard made famous in Boutique Style. Despite the media frenzy surrounding it and Ausus Production's heated lawsuit claiming copy-write infringement, Banna has succeeded in creating no more than a child's crayon copy of a well crafted oil on canvas original. Unless torturing yourself with the utterly insipid is your idea of a pleasant Sunday night, avoid this latest, unoriginal mid season replacement."_

"She likes me." Carri said in a silly voice, hands clutched together. "She really likes me."

"So that's why you're in a mature and forgiving state of mind all of a sudden." Rocky said as he tossed the papers back on the table. "You know damn well her show's gonna tank."

"No." Carri said calmly, picking the papers up and stacking them together. "I know the critic's hate her. The public has yet to decide." She took the papers and tossed them aside. "But the sponsor's are definitely going to take notice that the critics panned it…"

"And that means…"

"Between the law suit and the bad reviews… they're not going to be all that happy. And let me tell you from painful experience, if the sponsor ain't happy, the network ain't happy. If the network ain't happy…" She looked up at him grinned wickedly, hands defiantly on her hips. "Cheaters never prosper babe."


	13. Chapter 13: Thanks Alot

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 13: Thanks A Lot

The Rangers have a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving...if they can just remember what.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Some conversations in NY were taken from KJ's _Big Apple_ and _Oh Brother_. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series has been borrowed from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

* * *

**_All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension_**

* * *

Andros found his wife exactly where he thought she'd be; in the tiny back office she'd set up as a temporary workshop. Her parent's detached garage had been converted into a small guest suite nearly fifteen years ago with a small loft bedroom, sitting room, and office. It was Thanksgiving Day and even though he had to admit he was very thankful that he and his family were alive and well, he was in very little mood to celebrate. 

It wasn't as if their home had been huge, but fitting the three of them and Ashley's business into the guest house had been uncomfortable at best. The little apartment was nicely furnished and, having lived there nearly ten years ago before he and Ashley had gotten married, he was no stranger to calling it home. It was just that he was now a grown man, with his own family, and the little guest house was less than fifty feet across the little back yard from his in-laws; offering very little privacy.

It had taken the Zeo team less than three hours to find those responsible for burning down his home and the Angel Grove police nearly three days more to confirm the findings arrest them. The three teenage boys were all under eighteen and all attended Stone Canyon High School; which had shocked everyone involved and fueled a huge media frenzy. For the last few weeks, they had been held without bond in Juvenile Detention, while the charges were debated, but yesterday lawyers for the youngest boy had succeeded in getting him released to his parent's custody; which infuriated Andros and increased his anxiety for his family's safety.

It had been explained to Andros that the prosecutor had to be very careful or the defense lawyers might be able to get some of the charges dismissed or the chance of conviction lessoned. This didn't make sense to him. The three had thrown homemade bombs through his windows and destroyed his home. If his daughter had been in her bedroom at the time, she would have been killed. The three had admitted they did it and only one had expressed any remorse, why they had to have a trial or quibble over charges was beyond him.

The charge of arson was a given, but officials still didn't know what degree. The authorities had gone back and forth and when the local and national and even world politicians had stepped in, things only seemed to get more confusing. What the three had done was obviously a hate crime of some sort, but unfortunately there weren't any current laws in the US for hate crimes against aliens, so no one really knew exactly what the trio would eventually be charged with. It didn't help that Tommy was maneuvering the situation to lay the way for the new city project, encouraging the politicians to change laws and developing public awareness.

Andros didn't want the public aware of him and his family. Awareness had caused enough damage. He had agreed to let the local law enforcement handle things, but the process was painfully slow and he'd come to the sad realization that there wasn't going to be much justice for him; at least not what he considered justice. He wanted the boys punished and his life restored.

He just didn't understand why the sentence wasn't automatic. The boys had confessed, they weren't sorry, the authorities had found bomb making materials in their bedrooms, the oldest boy's car was seen by several people speeding out of his neighborhood just as the fire started, and there were even emails where the boys had bragged to others that they were going to do it. If they had been monsters or attacking aliens, the Rangers would have destroyed them by now. But the local legal system didn't work that way and the delays only fueled his anger, anxiety, and resentment over the situation.

Slowly but surely, as the weeks trailed on, the daily news coverage had lessoned as other stories peaked the public's interest and Andros felt a little easier about moving out of the high security zone of level eight and back into his in-laws little guest house. Life had gradually begun to take on a normal shape again, but he was still troubled and had yet to have a full night's uninterrupted sleep. Nightmares haunted him and it wasn't unusual to find him up and pacing in the early morning hours until it was time for him to go to NASADA.

Ashley seemed to recover easier than he had, although whether that was an outward show for his sake or due to the security of moving back into her family home, he wasn't sure. Fortunately, most of her designs had been recovered from the laptop she had carried with her in the car, but many others were completely lost and the work to meet her deadlines had been overwhelming. To her credit, or perhaps just to get her mind off things, she'd been able to dive back into her work immediately, re-creating some of the lost designs from memory and simply starting over for other projects. Andros hadn't had nearly as much success returning to normal life and not even an extended trip back to KO-34 had been able to distract him from obsessing over the matter.

As he stopped in the doorway of the small room she'd claimed, he found her busily pinning piles of silk onto a manikin she'd bought the day before. She jumped when she saw him and pins went flying all over the tile floor.

"I'm sorry." He said, stooping to help pick up them up. "I shouldn't have crept up on you like that."

"It's fine." She said, cupping her hands so he could drop the pins into them. "I should have taken the time to take the pins out of the box and stick them on my wrist cushion. I knew better. I just bought them yesterday and I was too lazy to do it."

"What's all this?" He asked as she tried to fit the large pins back in their container.

"Kat's silk arrived yesterday from the supplier." She said, placing the open box back on her small worktable and stretching. "I wanted to get a head start on it before she changed her mind again." She smiled mischievously and he grinned at her. Katherine Hillard's idea of the perfect wedding dress seemed to change daily. She'd backed off since the fire, but he knew she'd begun calling regularly again to check the progress.

"What'cha need?" She asked, smiling at him. Even after all the time they'd been together, her smile still captivated him and he briefly re-considered bringing up the conversation he had sought her out for. She was not going to be happy with what he wanted to say and he wondered briefly if he should bring it up at all.

"Just wanted to see where you were." He said simply.

"The baby's ok?" she asked and he nodded.

"Your mother's introducing her to the parade on TV." He said, giving her a well known look of cultural bemusement.

The idea of Thanksgiving baffled him. He understood it was a day of thanks and he understood the history behind it, but the actual cultural observation of it was perplexing. It started off with the frenzied over buying of food, followed by two full days of cooking by the women of the house, involved a traditional early morning parade full of advertisements for television shows, a glutinous feast of foods which included traditional recipes no one really liked, and was followed by the men retiring to watch sports while the women cleaned the dishes and re-packaged all the food that hadn't been consumed. The following day, the women were gone before daylight to fight hordes of other women and purchase consumer goods at prices that weren't all that much lower than on regular days and the men fended for themselves, digging leftovers out of the refrigerator, until the women returned late at night with their massive purchases for the next holiday that was more than a month away.

For some reason, it was looked forward to with great excitement all year by his in-laws and they were rather sad when it was over with. After nearly ten years, it was still simply beyond him, where the thanks came in he didn't know, but he put on a good face for his wife's sake and never said a word when the credit card bill came in.

"Do you have a moment to talk with me?" He asked and she nodded, following him out to the small living area and sitting on the overstuffed sofa that was probably older than she was. He was silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Finally, taking her hand in his, he said simply, "I'm not happy here."

"I know." She responded, reaching up to touch his hair. It still seemed strange to her that he'd cut it. He'd done it after the baby had been born, giving up the last link to his old life, but the shorter length had made the odd blond and brown patterns stand out more obviously and it made him look far younger rather than more mature. "It's only temporary, my parents really are trying to give us some space, they just love having the baby so close, and the realtor says she has several good leads on gated communities with homes in our price range."

Andros leaned into her hand for a moment, covering it with his own, but shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Yes, you're right, the lack of privacy here at your parent's house is wearing, but I meant in the bigger sense of things."

"Oh." She said, lowering her hand. She'd been waiting for this conversation and was resolved to hear him out and get it over with.

"I don't want to live behind a gate Ash. I don't want to spend the rest of my life watching over my shoulder for an enemy I can't see and don't understand. Children attacked our home. Monsters I understand, but children? How am I supposed to protect my family from that?"

Ashley wanted to reply that they hadn't been much older when they had saved the entire galaxy, but she held her tongue; it was hardly the same thing. Her husband had had a hard time adapting to her world before the fire. He was having an even harder time grappling with things after.

The oldest boy involved was seventeen and had been in a lot of trouble the past few years, but the two younger ones were only fifteen and both from really good families. One of the boys mother's had even gone to high school with her mother and had called to say that she was absolutely mortified her son was involved. Everyone, the Rangers included, had been stunned to discover that the three were responsible.

It was inconceivable that, with all that was going on in the galaxy, three kids had caused so much heartache in their lives. The seventeen year olds father had been one of the few local name-callers when she and Andros had married, but he'd never actually broken the law. Except leaving a few nasty messages on her telephone, he'd never even been considered a serious threat. Ashley had a feeling Andros knew more than he was letting on, but no one had seen fit to include her in the loop of information.

She sighed deeply, resolved to listen to him patiently like he always listened to her, but knowing in her heart what was coming. "What do you have in mind?" She asked.

"I need you to hear me out." He said earnestly and she nodded. "My home world, the colony on KO-35 was abandoned in favor of KO-34 because there just weren't enough people left to safely re-colonize both worlds." He began and she nodded again, a sinking feeling overcoming her. "We couldn't settle on KO-34 because you're from Earth and it wasn't allowed, but now KO-35 has been released to non-Kaoan colonization."

"That's what Tommy said."

"Karone and I still own our parent's land." He said earnestly.

"Alright."

"While I was on KO-34 this last trip, I learned that all the former colonists and their families will be given first right to the lands previously settled. If we don't come forward and claim it, it'll be opened up for others to bid on. I did some checking and my family's acreage is right in the middle of a zone reserved for human colonization. It makes sense, the city's already set up, it's just dormant."

"Andros," Ashley said, trying hard to remain calm, "You want to claim that land?"

"We could re-settle there, help to re-build the colony."

"What would we do there?"

"The same things we do now, it's just that we'd be in an intergalactic community with all the best things the core worlds have to offer."

"But we have that now…the new city they're building."

"Which won't be ready for ten years at best."

"KO-35 is right in Gruumm's territory, what if he turns direction and attacks it?"

"There's no reason for him to go in that direction. It's a space colony; he's proven himself to be more ambitious than that."

Ashley sunk back into the cushions of the couch and his shoulders deflated. He knew she wasn't going to like the idea, but he had to try and he was ready to counter any protests she might have. He honestly didn't know if it would be any safer for them on KO-35, but at least he would understand the culture there. He'd given it his best; he'd tried harder to settle here than anywhere else in his life. Kaoans were a hardy race and very adaptable, but he would never understand her society completely and he was done trying. If the people here didn't want him and what he had to offer, he'd take his family back to his home.

He was beyond angry and that anger had only intensified as he realized there would most likely be no ramifications for the three boys other than a little imprisonment and, because of their young ages, even that was most likely going to be only for a few months at best. To him, the loss of his home and his peace of mind demanded more. He wanted restitution, but he wouldn't get it. Even their insurance company wouldn't replace everything that had been lost…and, to add insult, their rates had gone up astronomically. It wasn't fair.

"You won't go." He said simply, shoulders sinking a little more.

Ashley rubbed her eyes and tried to think of something to say. She would never feel at home in the intergalactic community anymore than her husband would feel at home on her world. They were too different, their worlds just too far apart. Still, before the fire they had made it work pretty well. She knew he was content, if not completely happy.

He'd been able to travel home enough to where it didn't matter, but if the situation was reversed and they settled on the colony, she knew she wouldn't get to come home much at all. She would have to give up her family, her way of life, her business, everything that was precious to her except her husband and her baby. Their daughter would probably never know her parents and she would most definitely never know much of her culture and her traditions. No, she didn't want to go, but she would if Andros pressed her. She loved him too much and always had. Slowly, she raised her head and met his eyes. "My home is with you." She said simply, stunning him with the same words he'd given her years ago. "I don't want to go, but if you choose to leave, I'll always choose to go with you."

* * *

Rocky surveyed the busy grey cityscape outside Carri's tiny Manhattan apartment with a combination of amazement and dread. Amazement that he was actually in New York via her father's corporate jet and dread at the realization that he was about to meet Carri's parents and older brother for the first time over a post parade Thanksgiving luncheon. 

The decision to go to New York had been spur of the moment at best. The jet had taken several executives to Los Angeles and was headed back to the east coast to refuel before heading on to London, so her dad had offered to divert it to Angel Grove and pick them up. They would be in New York until Sunday, when the jet would fly them back to Angel Grove and then pick up the original group of execs in LA.

Flying across country in a private jet was a far cry from the economy trip he'd taken in junior high school to DC. It was beyond first class with wide leather seats, satellite TV, hot towels, and their own private steward. Carri had gotten a kick out of watching him ogle over things and he realized for the first time what her cousin really meant when she commented that Carri had been brought up with all the best things in life. It was only now dawning on him what life must have been like to be the spoiled daughter of an extremely successful television producer.

The Carri he knew was so down to earth and practical, he could hardly imagine her growing up in a household that spent millions on one simple vacation. What wealth she had now, and he knew that was fairly substantial, she had earned for herself, but she lived rather simply considering. Learning from Kim's stepfather and her dad's advisor's, she'd been a tyrant about investing her income and, just like Kimberly, she never spent more than the monthly interest checks those investments yielded. Although she appeared frivolous in her shopping sprees to him, he realized she was actually quite frugal; considering how she'd been raised.

Rocky considered himself comfortable financially. He'd done a hell of a lot in his short twenty-nine years and he was actually rather proud of what he'd accomplished. He'd started from nothing, less than nothing if you considered the bills his dad had left behind, he'd worked hard, had opened three schools in ten years, and had managed to support himself, his mother, and his five siblings…but he had never dreamed of touching this kind wealth. Suddenly he wasn't so peeved at her for running out and buying him new clothes to wear. He'd adamantly, and with a great deal of grumbling, packed his own suitcase and refused to try on anything in her bags. She'd simply shrugged and tossed them onto the luggage pile, bringing her purchases along anyway. However, after the plane ride and a quick drive by of her parent's building, he had quietly put on the new outfit she'd laid out on the bed while he was in the shower.

Tiny wasn't the word to describe her small apartment. Growing up in southern California, he was used to economical living space, but New York apparently had an entirely different view of compact. The dining and living area was about the size of his dorm room at UCLA; only with a tiny kitchenette. The kitchen area itself was laughable, consisting of two small sunken burners and a tiny sink, with a microwave suspended above and a mini fridge below. Pulling back a sliding pocket door in the back of it, he'd expected to see the pantry, but instead found the only bathroom with the smallest shower he'd ever seen.

The master bedroom consisted of a double bed and small dresser and the second bedroom was no more than a closet with a twin bed frame crammed in; it didn't even have a window. It's only saving grace, in Rocky's eyes, was the view. A huge window in the living room gave an absolutely incredible view of Manhattan that promised to be absolutely spectacular at night. He also had to admit that it was beautifully decorated and he'd been stunned when she told him what she was considering putting it on the market for.

As he looked out over the city below him, he thought again about meeting Carri's parents. Jason had pulled him aside just before they left for the airport for a few encouraging words, but those words hadn't been nearly as heartening as his friend had hoped they'd be. Jason had told him to be himself, her dad and brother would most likely be friendly, but not to expect a warm welcome from Carri's mother. She apparently didn't like anyone…unless, of course, you were heir to something. It wasn't that she was prejudiced, she apparently didn't discriminate at all in her view that anyone outside her set in New York was worthy of her company.

She had liked Jason, but his friend claimed that was only because he went into the first meeting not giving a damn if she liked him or not. He'd matched her dig for dig, snide for snide, and even one-upped her one the distain meter. She apparently appreciated this common personality bond and, to his amazement, by the end of the evening he'd had her in the palm of his hand. Jason was, in Carri's mom's eyes, the only worthy replacement for Carri's ex-fiancé, David Meyers, and she'd been complaining of massive migraines for the last three months since the two had "broken up" and Rocky had moved onto the scene. Unfortunately, Rocky cared what her mother thought, he cared a great deal, and that left him at a huge disadvantage.

As Rocky looked around the tiny apartment now, his eyes spied the tiny second "bedroom," where his friend had left some of his things on his last visit to the apartment over the summer. While it was nice to see some physical evidence that the two had indeed kept separate bedrooms when they traveled together, it still brought home the reality that the two had carried on an effective rouse of a relationship for several years. He never once considered the two would lie to him about feigning a relationship, Carri had always been brutally honest about her past and would have no reason to lie now, he just didn't understand it and was painfully jealous despite himself. The fact that Carri's mom apparently adored Jason didn't make the situation any easier.

His watch indicated it was a good fifteen minutes past their agreed upon departure time, and he shifted uncomfortably. Carri was still primping in the bathroom and showing no desire to hurry things along. She was never usually one to over primp, but today she was taking far more time with her hair and makeup than she would normally.

"We're gonna be really late babe." He said, glancing at his watch and then looking out the large living room window again.

"You that anxious to see my folks?" She said, emerging from the bathroom and dropping a few cosmetics into a matching purse.

"Not particularly." He commented, not turning from the window and she snorted.

"The clothes look good." She commented, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. His hands automatically came up to meet hers and he squeezed them as she pressed into him.

"You think I'm acceptable?" He said dryly.

"Trust me hon, I know fashion. The size looks good on you too, I was a bit worried."

"That's not what I meant." He said gravely, still looking out the window and she chuckled.

"Well, she's not gonna call you a whore and toss you back out of the street if that's what you're worried about."

"That's not funny." He said, turning around and then stopped as he caught a glimpse of her.

She wasn't quite as dressed up as she had been for the reunion, but she still looked like she'd just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. It completely took his breath away. Not that he didn't appreciate her on a daily basis, but he'd grown accustomed to a more day to day beauty; with less makeup and a pony tail or jeans. She looked absolutely incredible and even in his new clothes he felt under dressed standing next to her. Her hair was pulled up in a carefully messy twist and she was wearing a high necked gold and brown pant suit with a cashmere brown jacket.

The look on her face told him she was well aware of his appreciation and she raised her arms casually around his neck, a seductive gleam in her eyes.

"You like?" She asked invitingly and he wasn't quite sure if she was referring to her outfit or not.

"Oh yeah." He breathed, not quite sure what else to say. She grinned and turned, walking to the small kitchenette counter and picking up her purse and keys. Pressing a button near the door, she asked the doorman to flag her a cab, then put her coat on. She turned back to him with a flirty look in her eyes and opened the door.

"If you still weren't on restrictions," he said, closing the space between them and kissing her neck just below her ear, "I'd rip that suit right off you." Although they'd continued to sleep together, she'd been given explicit orders by the Aquitian staff caring for her to refrain from all human sexual acts until her body had had adequate time to heal and adapt to the skin grafting.

It hadn't been that difficult. Until just a few days before her departure, she'd been in an incredible amount of pain and far too tired to think about fooling around. But since she'd been back on Earth, it hadn't been as easy to adhere to the restrictions that were still in effect. Carri had always been rebellious and now that she was feeling better, it became more and more absurd in her mind for a race of beings that abhorred physical contact to ban her from it…especially when she felt absolutely fine.

"Good thing restrictions end at midnight." She purred and he frowned at her as he put his own coat on.

"Carri, restrictions are in force for one week after we left Aquitar. We have to wait until Saturday at least." He countered firmly and she surprised him by turning and pressing into him in a way that made him groan involuntarily. The last week had been painful at best for him, but he refused to do anything that would hurt her.

"Nope." She purred smugly. "Aquitian days are shorter than Earth days. If you do the math and compare hours, restrictions are actually over around eleven something, but it's easier to round up." She said firmly.

"Are you sure?" He asked, not that he was complaining; that was the best news he'd heard in a long time.

"You want me to call Billy?" She countered. Actually, she was lying through her teeth. She had no idea the ratio of days to hours, but it sounded good. Besides, she felt fine and she really missed that side of their relationship. As far as she was concerned, it was far better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission to skip a few days; especially given the absurdity of the restrictions. "Give you something to look forward to." She said mischievously, walking out into the hall and locking the door behind them.

"Honestly? I think that's gonna make sitting through the afternoon with your parents a lot harder." He said, a slight whine in his voice. She laughed, patting his cheek and striding down the hall to the elevator.

"Maybe we can cheat on the last few hours." She said, punching the down button.

"Carri…" He responded scoldingly.

"Oh come on, what's a couple of hours?"

* * *

Kim had a problem; actually a series of problems. She had wandered away from the chaos of the rehearsal while the tables were being set up for the dinner to find a quiet moment to think. Bridgewell Manor, where Trini and Billy were getting married tomorrow, wasn't large, but the ten acre lawn was well manicured and the gardener in Kim was very appreciative of its details. 

She found a bench in a small ivy covered alcove and sat down to contemplate what she wanted to do. Thanksgiving Day had been a disaster so far and they still had the rehearsal dinner to get through and then dinner again over at the house where her mom was staying. They had known the day was going to be divided up between families, but Kim had no idea just how hard that was going to be.

It had started off well enough with a very early Thanksgiving brunch, which was really no more than coffee, with Tommy's brother, nephew, and Sam. That had been fun and they had been in good spirits when they arrived for lunch itself with Tommy's mom and a few of his relatives. His mother had been very sweet, but his Aunt Libby had been strange at best.

Kim couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something more than a little unnerving about the woman; something more than that just her propensity to call Kim by Katherine's name the first half of the visit. Kim understood Libby knew damn well that she wasn't Katherine, but she seemed to really enjoy the reaction on Tommy's face each time she said it. The first hour of the visit, each time she'd mistake her name, she would regal Kim with all kinds of cute antidotes concerning Katherine and how well she blended with the family, but it was the second hour that really had her concerned. She'd peppered Kim with questions about her dad and her little brother, then made comments about how odd it was to be sharing the holidays with a member of the Hart family again. It was obvious that her odd comments and questions were more than a little irritating to Tommy's mother and the entire luncheon had been strained at best.

To further the uneasiness, Libby had gone on and on about how Kim and Tommy had been inseparable as children and how cute it was that they were so joined at the hip now. Tommy had looked curiously between his Aunt and his other relatives, to the best of their knowledge they had met each other as teenagers the second half of Freshman year, but his mother brushed off his Aunt as mistaken and the rest of the family present had simply looked uncomfortable and not commented. Kim knew Tommy had questioned his mother privately afterwards, but she didn't know the outcome of that conversation. It had all been weird and unnerving and certainly didn't bode well for future holidays to come.

From there they had driven out to her father's condo on the beach. She hadn't originally planned to go see him, but her brother had laid a massive guilt trip on her, so she made the effort. She really wished she hadn't. Michael had promised to keep him from getting too nasty with her, but even her brother's presence, coupled with Tommy's silent reassurances, hadn't been enough to keep her from storming out on him in under an hour.

She wasn't sure what it was about her father that drove her to distraction, but even on a good day the two just couldn't seem to be around each other for more than a few minutes before they both began snapping at each other. Before they arrived, her father had already started the blender going for his Thanksgiving "beach party" and as they walked in, it was obvious the rum and tequila were already flowing heavily.

Kim wasn't a huge drinker, but Andre had introduced her to the benefits of a glass of wine with dinner and, very rarely, she and the girls would do a few shots if they went out dancing; but that was a rare exception now a days. They were barely through the door before her dad handed out the first round of Mai Tais. Kim had rolled her eyes and received a kiss on the forehead from Tommy, but after a large and stressful Thanksgiving lunch with Tommy's mom, all she had wanted to do was go home and lay down before the rehearsal started. Dutifully, she accepted the very strong drink and sat down with a slightly forced smile on her face. The conversation was dull at best and stopped and started several different times before coming crashing down when her dad announced that he would soon to be walking down the aisle again himself with wife number four.

Apparently number four, his hair dresser, was the "perfect" wife for him and before she could stop herself, Kim made a snide comment about "perfect" meaning she must have her own house and a good paycheck. Her father immediately snapped back that Tommy, an unemployed high school teacher, had obviously also scored himself a good house and sizable trust fund through Kimberly and the two had ended up shouting each other. Michael had intervened and things quieted down, but everything exploded again when her dad pressed her for details about her own up and coming wedding.

Kim's decision not to have her father walk her down the aisle had been explosive at best. She hadn't intended on telling him on Thanksgiving Day, but he had pressed her and she'd been honest. In truth, she didn't want him at the wedding at all, let alone have a prominent role to play in the ceremony, but he seemed to consider it his God given right and her exclusion of him was vocally chalked up to just one more arrogant slight by her and her mother.

If Kim had a choice, she'd ask her stepfather Andre to step into the role of giving her away, but she knew very well that would ignite a huge war between her parent's families. In the end, she'd decided to walk down the aisle by herself. Her father's poor reaction to that decision had brought up a whole host of slights and angers and within seconds the two were actively yelling at each other again.

Tommy had tried to diffuse the situation, but that only caused her dad to turn on him. Kim had leapt to Tommy's defense and a whole new argument started in which her father had spat out several nasty, stinging, but slightly true comments about Kim, her personality, and her choices in life. She had stormed out the door, leaving Tommy no choice but to follow her. He'd bought her some coffee and they'd walked through Angel Grove Park for a few hours until Trini and Billy's rehearsal started, but the day was ruined and they weren't even half way through it.

The rehearsal itself was fine. It was the normal chaos of the night before a wedding, with the mother of the bride running around frantically, yelling at everyone in Vietnamese… and the mother of the groom noticeably absent. Trini was taking the whole thing calmly in stride, but Billy was in a foul mood and was scowling at everyone and everything. They had practiced walking down the aisle six times, with Trini's mother barking instructions for Kim's head to come up or for Trini to lower her practice flowers so that her belly didn't show so much. She yapped at Billy to smile, which he never quite managed, and she snapped at the few relatives who were attending the rehearsal dinner to stop complaining about her barking.

On any other day, it would have been humorous, but it was unusually hot for November and the morning had already been difficult at best. The whole thing seemed to be a gross foreshadowing of her own ceremony to come. A ceremony she didn't want and was now having serious regrets about committing to. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with Tommy. It floored her how easily they'd managed to come together again and she adored him as much, or more, than she had when she was younger, but the more she and her mother planned, the more she was having serious doubts about actually going through with it.

She was in a bad mood and she was hot, sweaty, and her head and feet hurt. So while Tommy was actively engaged in conversation with Billy and his father, she slipped away to find a moment alone. But now that she had found that moment, she wasn't sure exactly which problem she should tackle first. There were so many of them it wasn't funny. They varied in degree of severity between cosmic and strictly personal. Two of them she couldn't change and, although she still fretted about them, she understood they were out of her hands.

The Pit of Eternal Fire had been irrevocably altered. Muirantias was now inexplicably linked with Phaedos. For the time being, Dulcea was fine with watching over both power chambers, but those that be had made it very clear that Muirantias was Kim's responsibility and as soon as her tenure on her own world was done, she was to retreat to island as it's guardian. Dulcea assured her that guardianship wasn't a bad assignment. Since the chambers were linked, they'd have each other to talk to, but the idea of spending several thousand years in one lonely place was devastating to her. She hadn't talked to Tommy about it, but she had briefly spoken to Jason when he'd pulled her aside and pointedly asked her why she was broadcasting such loud feelings of being overwhelmed. He had assured her that they had gone into Muirantias together and he would be there to see her though it, but that only brought up the reality that she was most certainly going to outlive all her loved ones, including Tommy, and that had left her utterly depressed.

The other thing she couldn't change was her association with the Dimensional Guardians. Tommy had apparently thwarted the main plan for her dimension by saving her and Thomas and the Mystic Mother were both accused of direct interference. Mostly, Kim didn't interact with the DG much, she left that to Thomas, but in changing the dynamic of the pit, she'd also unwittingly changed her status.

Some of the DG had a tendency to be territorial and the guardian in charge of her timeline, Netau, happened to be one of them. She couldn't say she fully understood everything that happened, but he had challenged Thomas and the DG ruled against him. Thomas, like most Tommys, had an extraordinary lucky side. By interfering and giving the Mystic Mother the answer she needed to give his alternate, he had succeeded in shoving their timeline from orange to green; something even no one, even Zordon, had been able to do for almost 200 years. In had been embarrassing to Netau that he had been wrong and killing Kimberly wouldn't have saved the timeline, but destroyed it, and he had stormed off, but Thomas assured her all would be well when he calmed down. Still, Kim worried. Netau was powerful and she was uneasy making an enemy of him.

Unfortunately the whole affair had brought her squarely to the DG's attention. No one was sure if it was her, her relationship with Tommy, or her influence on Tommy that had changed the dynamics of her world, but everyone suddenly seemed far more interested in her. She knew from experience that this wasn't necessarily a good thing and she was very uneasy about it. She was even more uneasy when she testified to the moderators that her future plans were to marry Tommy. They had agreed with this decision and then immediately began the debate whether her offspring should be hers or whether donor genetic material from an alternate Kimberly, who wasn't linked to Muirantias, should be used.

Kim had heard these discussions before, but not when she herself was the focus. They blatantly discussed the direction of her life in front of her as if she wasn't present and her anger at the indignity of it exploded. Thomas had placed two firm hands on each of her shoulders and told her to calm down, but he just wasn't as good as her Tommy at cooling her temper.

Kim had already chosen to stay with her Tommy, but she resented being told that she now _had_ to stay with him, _had_ to marry him, and _had_ to produce children… and within the same timeframe as the other Kimberlys who had married their Tommys. This didn't give her much time to catch up and the powers that be bantered back and forth on whether they should interfere or not. Thomas strongly urged her not to take it too seriously, but the whole thing had left her shaken and unnerved. In the end, she had been given just over a year to successfully "breed" on her own or they would interfere. Kim was outraged, the last thing she wanted was to wake up one day and find herself pregnant, but Thomas had promised to lobby with them. He was high in their esteem since his success in transplanting Kimora's last victim into a dimension that had lost its Kimberly and he assured her they were likely to listen to his reasoning. She had returned home overwhelmed and frustrated and with a serious desire to rebel.

That led her to thoughts of Kimora's missing orb. Thomas had been so focused on saving her last victim, he hadn't noticed the orb was gone until it was too late. Where the orb was now, was anyone's guess, but Thomas was concerned enough to warn her to be careful. All she needed now was another showdown with her doppelganger; she'd barely survived the last time. If the demon was loose, she'd most definitely be back and very likely to come after her, Thomas, and maybe even Tommy.

Then there was the matter of Teeg. Kim hadn't been aware that Teeg thought she was dead. Her sudden appearance with the Novas had brought out the worst in villain and Kim just wasn't sure why. The battle for the Triceratops coin had been vicious and although Teeg had effectively beaten the crap out of her in a battle of sorcery, the Novas had managed to get the coin safely away from Rexo and the viratrons and back aboard their ship. Teeg hadn't been about to give up that easily though and had followed, the battle continuing well into space. Eventually, they had shaken her forces, but it hadn't been easy and the _Ensway_ had sustained serious damage. They had managed to limp back to Rheiga 4, but the ship was so badly damaged that even docking it in a repair port had been dicey. The techs had marveled that the crew had been able to hold it together and stories and speculation of what happened had begun to circulate quickly.

The race for the Sabertooth Tiger coin was now on and they had rushed through the legalities for Garan and Kee so they could get back into space as quickly as possible. Neither of the kids had seemed to mind. They were so enthralled with one another she was almost embarrassed for them. Elemi hadn't handled the situation well at all and she had been glad she'd been there to smooth things out, but it had been difficult to be around her ex for that much time. There was a wall between them that had never existed before and, although she was glad for the distance, it made things difficult for them. That didn't bode well for the future when they'd have to confront Teeg directly for the Dragonzord and Mastodon coins.

To make matters more complicated, word had reached her this morning that Teeg's henchman Rexo may have already secured the Sabertooth Tiger coin. That would give Teeg a full fighting force of three evil Rangers. She wasn't sure Earth, or anyone else, was ready for that development.

The Phantom and Solar Force Rangers were also demanding her attention. They had the hottest lead yet on Zordon's possible location and wanted her to join them as soon as possible. They didn't understand why she was so hesitant and were actually a bit angry at her for seemingly abandoning them, but she was pulled in far too many directions as it was. She wanted nothing more than to find Zordon alive, but she was also beginning to recognize the signs that he might actually be the one thwarting their quest; which indicated more and more that Rita was right and he didn't want to be found.

From there her problems drifted more into the personal category. She loved Tommy, but he was overwhelming her. He was crushingly over protective on the battlefield and in some ways downright clingy off it. He was also too used to making decisions and ramming them through and was not very good at stopping to consider her opinion or feelings. Jason and Carri were loudly demanding she put him in his place and were both angry at her for cow-towing to him and letting him railroad her, but it was more complicated than that. She was going to have to stand up for herself fairly quickly, she realized that, but she also really didn't want to screw up her relationship with him. He had a lot more going on than anyone realized and, although it seemed like she was caving in at every turn, mostly she was simply helping him handle the massive load of responsibilities he was in charge of.

But that didn't explain the clinginess. She couldn't go anywhere without him following her and couldn't even find an hour alone to have lunch with Carri before he was calling her to see how she was. She understood, more than anyone, how close she'd come to dying a few weeks before and she'd brushed a lot of his actions off as simply an overreaction to Kimora's attack. Now, nearly a month later, she wasn't so sure his actions weren't becoming a habit. Jason was constantly giving her grief about not standing up for herself and now that Carri was back, she'd joined that chorus. Jason insisted that Tommy was doing the same thing he'd done as a teenager, becoming overprotective and jealous of everything, but Kim didn't remember that part of her teenage relationship. Perhaps, like Kee, she was just too smitten with him to care the last time around.

She absolutely, positively did not want the press relations job he was forcing on her and that had been the first real major battle where she'd put her foot down. Tommy had firmly made the decision that she was perfect for the job and when Tommy made a decision, that was usually it; end of discussion. She was frustrating him by digging in her heels on what he considered a trivial matter and she had thus far failed to impress upon him the ramifications of accepting that job.

Kimberly had been famous. She was the darling of the sports world for more than two years and, although the television show hadn't made her nearly as recognizable as Carri, she still got fan mail from it. She'd done commercials, personal appearances, autograph signings, magazines, and talk shows and she really didn't want to back to that life. She liked being able to go to the mall and walk mindlessly without being recognized. Tommy didn't get it, this was a press job, media management, she wasn't going to be a celebrity again, but Kim disagreed. She would be a human contact, the voice of the Power Rangers; that could possibly bring her more fame than she'd ever had before. He also failed to realize that, as her spouse, he would also possibly be thrust in the limelight. Their quiet life could be ruined. She'd even gone so far as to ask Carri to take the job and she'd flatly refused for the same reason. She already couldn't keep her and Rocky out the tabloids; the media job would only make the gossip worse.

Then there was her house. Tommy had already borrowed the equipment from NASADA to dig a new foundation and basement and he was planning on moving it over the Angel County line in less than a week's time. He was beyond furious with Stone Canyon County and absolutely would not be dissuaded from picking the whole thing up and moving it. She understood the dynamics behind why he was doing it, she just thought he was insane. He'd squashed her protests and refused to listen to her, even though it was _her_ house.

The fact of the matter was, she needed his help on it. That reality, coupled with her unwillingness to damage their new relationship, had caused her to cave in and allow him to do it. The problem now was, she really liked the changes he'd made. She was still angry to be overridden on something that was obviously her territory, but she liked the new location and what he was doing with the basement was nothing short of incredible.

"You alright?" Tommy asked, walking around the edge of a large bush and into the clearing where she was sitting. He'd seen her slip away, but hadn't been able to break free of his conversation with Billy and his dad. She nodded, but didn't say anything, so he walked over and sat down next to her.

"Still upset about your dad?" He asked. She shrugged, but still didn't say anything, so he put his arm around her and pulled her next to him.

She leaned against him with a sigh. It was too hot to cuddle, but she still loved the feeling of being close to him. She pressed her head against his shoulder and he leaned down and kissed the top of her hair. She warbled again, loving the feel of him next to her and wondering if she was making more out of the situation than she should. True, he was extreme sometimes, but he was an intense person. That's what made him what he was. She wanted to be with him, she knew that, but she was going to have to find a way to get him to back off a little without offending him.

"So what's up?" He asked, rubbing her arm. "Why are you sitting out here alone?"

"I just needed a second to reset." She said simply. "My head hurts."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Which part?" She asked ruefully.

"All of it." He said and she laughed ruefully, pulling away from him.

"Most of it I can't talk about." She said and again he felt the uncertainties in his stomach over the time she'd spent on the _Ensway_ with Elemi.

"Of course you can." He reassured, "We're a team."

"Are we?" she asked seriously, giving him a strange look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked defensively.

She scooted away a bit and shook her head. "Forget it." She said after a few seconds. She wasn't entirely sure it was worth bringing up anyway. She didn't want to lose him again.

"Kim, what's going on." He asked pointedly.

"Nothing," she insisted, standing up and rubbing her temples. "My head hurts, that's all. I needed space."

"Beautiful," He said, standing up and placing a hand on each of her shoulders. "Talk to me, what's going on?"

"Nothing." She insisted, "Just feeling overwhelmed by everything, that's all."

"This morning?"

"Partly. I think this morning just sort of emphasized things."

"Like what?"

She broke free of him and sat back down on the bench. "I'll get over it." She said, not looking at him. He sat down next to her again with a sigh. He'd known something was wrong since she'd gotten back, but so far she'd been unwilling to communicate with him. It worried him. He didn't think she'd up and leave him again without warning, but the insecurities of his youth wouldn't let him dismiss the idea. She'd also just spent several weeks in close quarters with her ex-husband and that had him more than a little jealous and concerned.

"Does it have anything to do with us?" He asked hesitantly.

"Somewhat." She admitted.

"Then let's talk it out." He said, sitting back down next to her.

She shook her head and brought her knees up to her chest. "I don't want to ruin things." She said softly.

"You gonna leave me?" He asked, the uncertainty breaking through in his voice.

"No." She said, shaking her head and he relaxed considerably.

"You happy?" He pressed.

"Yes." She said, less than convincingly.

"But…" He said, leaving the door open for her to confide what was bothering her.

"But..." She repeated and turned to look at him seriously. "Do you think we're rushing things? I mean, running around trying to pull a whole wedding off in six months? Maybe if we waited a little…finished the house…I mean, this is crazy… We've been back together less than one month…a few weeks ago we weren't even considering dating again, now we're living together and planning this huge event…maybe getting married really isn't such a good idea…." Her words tumbled out in an almost hysterical tone and he fought every instinct in him to overreact. She was nervous, he could see it in her eyes and, once he squashed his initial reaction, he could sense it in her too.

"Yes, I think we're pushing it a bit; considering how hard it is to get things booked in this town." He said honestly, "But it's not something I want to change. I want us to be together. I want us to be married. It doesn't matter to me if it's today or in six months or in six years, but if we know it's going to happen sometime in the future…why wait? Let's get the formalities over with now and live our lives." He said and she shook her head, turning away from him and scooting to the edge of the bench.

"What changed your mind from yesterday?" He asked, far more calmly than her felt.

"Nothing…everything…I don't know." She said helplessly.

Tommy rolled his eyes and fought for patience. Once the initial fear was suppressed, his temper began to rise. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He slid next to her and, wrapping is arms around her, kissed her shoulder.

"Talk to me." He said softly. When she shook her head, he gently turned her around and lifted her chin so her eyes met his. "Does this have anything to do with what your dad said? With the bitter feelings you have about that divorce?"

Kim shook her head and released the gentle hold he had on her chin. This was a can of worms she would have rather not opened, but it was out now and she was going to have to explain herself. He wasn't going to stop pressing her for details until he had an answer he was happy with.

"No." She said honestly, "But he was right. There's a lot of him in me. I put up a good front to the outside world, but I really am selfish and difficult and he's right, I've sabotaged every good relationship I've ever been in…ours included."

"Kim…" He said, patiently, but she shook her head and focused on a rather large white blossom on the bush behind them.

Tommy rubbed his face with his hands and willed patience, reminding himself that the day had been a disaster so far and she was upset. He needed to figure out the root of her discomfort and fast…before she turned her ring back over to him. He wanted to marry her more than anything else in his life. He never, ever, thought he'd get a second chance or would even be willing to trust her enough for a second chance.

He'd loved her since he was kid. He never realized how much that was until he'd nearly lost her. He still woke up at night terrified that she was gone and it was too late. He didn't understand why she didn't feel the same overwhelming sense of urgency to be with him. He knew she hadn't really wanted to get married, and maybe he'd pushed her too soon, but after that damn letter from Florida, he needed that pledge of loyalty, that commitment from her. In just one short month, he'd fallen further in love with her than he'd ever thought possible. Marrying her was right; he could feel it in the very fiber of his existence and was surer about this direction than he'd ever been.

"Yes or no, answer me some questions." He said and she turned to look at him. "Do you love me?" He asked.

"Yes." She said without hesitation and he relaxed visibly. Without a positive answer to that, his other questions were mute.

"Are you happy?"

"Yes."

"Are you ok with living with me?"

"Yes….and no." She said, a little hesitation in her voice. He watched her reaction closely trying to gauge what she was feeling. "Ok," He said slowly, looking directly at her. "Full stop. Let's talk about it. What's going on?"

"It's nothing." She insisted, frustrating creeping into her voice. "I'll get over it."

"Kimberly, talk to me." He said and she made an exasperated sound.

"I'm overwhelmed." She said testily.

"By me?"

"Partly." She said, turning to face him. "I love you." She said earnestly. "I want to be with you..but you don't stop to ask me about anything, you just do it."

"Like what?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"Like everything." She said, the dam finally breaking a little. "You make a decision and that's it. Whether it's what closet and bathroom I'm to use, or moving my house, or telling me I have to take that damn press job…even our schedule today: who we're going to see and when. You don't listen to me. You direct me like I'm not even there."

Tommy sat back, honestly stunned. He hadn't realized that was how she'd felt and he honestly didn't understand it. Decisiveness was something he'd learned early on. Everyone, on all levels needed decisions from him on a minute by minute basis; he just made them and went forward from there. His life was like that now; there was so much that depended on his choices and determinations. If he stopped to analyze things, he'd go crazy. He wasn't trying to be controlling, he just did what made sense to him. Besides, he had good reasons for everything he did.

In regard to the bathroom and closet issue, he was just trying to be nice. He'd lived with a woman before and knew very well the petty squabbles that went along with moving in together and sharing the same bathroom and closet. He had wanted to forestall the arguments he'd had with Kat and given her the master bedroom closet and bath, which were tiny, but they were bigger than the ones he'd taken. He'd wanted her to feel welcome, to feel like it was her house too.

Moving her family house was the only thing he could do. Stone Canyon County had stopped them from working on it. The county had refused to approve electrical and gas connections from Angel County and had told him they needed to pay for lines from Stone Canyon to be brought to the house. It was going to cost a freaking fortune, not to mention months of delays, to get those lines put in and he couldn't do it himself, he had to wait for a county approved crew to do it. They'd be living in his small house well after they were married if he let that happen.

She was also the only one who could do the press job. He needed someone he could completely trust for that job. He wasn't fooled, that was going to be an incredibly hard job once word of New Tech went public. There weren't many people he could completely trust to answer the questions that were bound to come and even fewer with her qualifications. True, he could press Carri to do it, but Carri had a temper and the world press could be irritating; which was why they dealt with it via computer. He didn't need her going off on someone. Kim was even tempered and could handle herself really well when the questions got dicey. She was the only one he could completely trust in that position and he desperately needed the security of having her there.

He told her as much, trying his best not to sound defensive or angry and she nodded at everything he said. "I know, I know." She said miserably. "I understand. It all makes sense…I just wish you'd _listen_ to me a little more."

"I thought I was listening." He said helplessly. "I thought we were doing all this together."

"No." she said softly, shaking her head. "Between you deciding my life for me at home and mom deciding everything about the wedding coming up…and everything else…I'm just feeling lost somewhere."

"Look, I promise to make a conscious effort to talk to you a little more, let's not talk about changing the wedding just yet, ok?" he asked and her shoulders sank a little.

"It's not just that Tommy." She said.

"Then what?" He asked, "Help me understand what's going on."

Kim thought about her meeting with the DG and what she'd been ordered to do. Rebellion was a stupid reason to screw herself out of spending the next few decades with Tommy. She thought about her father, who really shouldn't be influencing her either, given his own lousy record with marriage, and then she thought about Kat and how absorbed she was with her wedding. Katherine was obsessed with her plans, it was such a stark contrast to what she felt.

"Do you think," She began and then made another exasperated sound. "I dunno. I mean, what happened Monday with Kat. She's so incredibly wrapped up in the details of her wedding, Carri said it's just all consuming to her; her total focus. I don't feel anything like that... " She confessed. "Is that a really bad omen? I mean, mom's going to town on this thing and, aside from my dress, I could honestly care less what the ceremony and reception are like. What's wrong with me? " She paused and rubbed her temples with her fingers. "I'm…I mean….I'm being pulled in so many directions I can't even thing straight. With everything that's going on in the universe, I barely have time to think about morphing and Aisha's calling me every half hour yesterday about some pearls she found online for my hair…and then there's the whole thing with my dad not walking me down the aisle…my mom is freaked because the church is unavailable the same day as the reception hall… Carri's threatening to strangle me if she has to wear anything pink…and not being able to have a rehearsal dinner because Kat's got the whole place booked the entire day and everyone's going to be busy with her wedding anyway…oh my god, we're getting married in the same place as your ex-girlfriend… on the very next night. Doesn't that bug you?"

"Not as much as when I thought it was going to be the same night." He teased and she rolled her eyes and made an annoyed sound.

Tommy sat back and regarded her for a moment, considering her words. In truth, it was a little unnerving to know that Kat's reception was in the same place, just one day before, but it really didn't bother him all that much. He thought about offering to move the venue, then something about the gist of her words struck him. "Answer me this." He said, looking directly at her and gauging her reactions. "Is it just the wedding itself that's bugging you? If we got married tomorrow, just the two of us…no friends, no family, no pomp and circumstance…would you feel better about it?"

"We can't do that." She said irritably, shaking her head. "My mother…your mother….You're her only child. You want the ceremony; all the bells and whistles. You told me yourself."

"I don't give a damn about the ceremony if you're about to bolt and call the whole thing off." He said, the slightest bit of anger creeping through into his voice. "I want to marry you, to spend the rest of my life with you. Answer me, if we eloped and didn't tell a soul until after it was over, would you feel more comfortable?"

"Yes." She said simply, surprising herself.

"Then let's do it." He answered. "I have to go back home next week to help Hayley out, that's plenty of time to get the license… and the two of us going to Reefside won't draw nearly as much attention as flying out to Vegas. We'll just do it." He paused and watched her closely. She'd relaxed a little and seemed to be considering his words carefully.

"And the ceremony?" she asked. He mother was going to throw a fit if she eloped. Hell, _his_ mother would throw a fit; she was as excited as Kim's mom.

"We can either have it or not. Almost everyone will already be in town anyway for Kat's wedding or the reunion…we'll throw a party. The Grand is already booked and mostly paid for, if you want to renew the vows in front of our friends, fine, if not… we'll just have a simple, if expensive, get-together and enjoy ourselves."

"You're serious?" She asked, eyes lighting up for the first time that day. A party didn't sound so bad. She could handle a party. Her mom would still get to plan the big event she wanted and Kim wouldn't have to fret over bridesmaids, rehearsals, and flowers.

"Damn right I'm serious." He said, and relaxed completely as she smiled brightly at him. She scooted over and threw her arms around his neck.

"That would be absolutely wonderful." She said, tucking her chin between his neck and shoulder and squeezing him tightly.

He returned the embrace, relieved to the point of being dizzy. It was going to be ok, he told himself, she wasn't going anywhere. She was just overwhelmed and he'd failed to see it. She had a right to be overwhelmed, he thought. So much had happened in so little time; just a few weeks ago he'd almost lost her for good.

He was too used to making a decision on his own and moving forward. He hadn't stopped to consider things from her end and he vowed to be a little more understanding of her feelings in the future. She was right. If they were going to be a team he needed to consult her more. "Anything else worrying you that I should know about?" He asked, rubbing her back. She released him, sat back and laughed a bit hysterically, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Ahhh…" she sighed, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Well let's see…" She said, running her hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. "Teeg is furious that I'm still alive and just might follow me back to Earth again. The Phantom Ranger has all but accused me of abandoning the search for Zordon. The powers that be are not at all happy about what happened on Muirantias and have decided that, since I was the one who screwed it up, I'll be the one who takes care of it. Kimora's orb is missing and might just be in evil hands. And I received a communication this morning that Teeg's henchmen may just have secured another power coin; which would give her enough power to form her own evil Ranger team." She left out her other encounter with the DG; he didn't need to know that part just yet.

"Is that all?" He asked, no wonder she was feeling inundated. "Is Kimora's missing orb something I need to be concerned about?" The last thing he wanted was Kimora attacking Kim again.

Kim nodded slowly. "I think the idea of Teeg having a full team of three evil Rangers is more pressing, but yes, if Kimora gets loose, she'll come after me again. Thomas has already warned me to be careful."

"And what's to be done about Muirantias?" He asked. She shrugged, hand coming around to prop her head against the back of the bench.

"I've basically been given Dulcea's job." She said simply, watching his reaction. He raised an eyebrow and she looked away, chewing her lip slightly. "Like Lerigot, I'm going to be allowed to live a normal life for a while, whatever that means, but eventually I'll have to go back through the nemesis triangle and protect the power chamber that exists there now." What she didn't say was that she was only being allowed to stay so she could marry Tommy and have children. After her children were grown and Tommy was gone, she'd have to go permanently.

"So how long do you have?" He asked seriously, but she didn't have a chance to answer as Billy came around the corner in search of them.

"I was beginning to think you two had slipped off to fight a monster and just not told me about it." He said accusingly and Kim smiled at him.

"You're right, we wouldn't have told you." Tommy said plainly and within two second his communicator went off.

"Ugh." Kim said with exasperation, looking at Billy. "You jinxed it, you realize that..."

"Who's in the Command Center?" Billy asked quickly.

"Kat Manx." Tommy answered. "You go back to the rehearsal dinner and stay with Trini. We'll call if we need you." He said firmly.

Before Billy could protest, Tommy and Kim both transported out. He stared in annoyance at the empty space they had occupied for a few seconds before turning and making his way back to the tables. He supposed it was better to have a monster attack on Thanksgiving rather than during the wedding tomorrow, but he was uncomfortable at best with not being in the Command Center. Manx would call him if he was really needed, he was sure of that, but he still fought the urge to teleport himself back there just to make sure.

* * *

"Will you relax?" Carri said as the doorman opened the door for them. "You're starting to seriously freak me out." He'd fidgeted the entire ten minute cab ride and she could feel the sweat on his hand when she held it. 

"I'm just nervous." Rocky countered. "What if they don't like me?"

"Don't worry about it. Just go in and be yourself. My mom's going to give you the same judgmental eye she's gives everybody at first so relax and don't worry about it. Once they get to know you, they'll love you as much as I do." Carri said, then paused, grinning at him mischievously. "Well maybe not as much as I do but they'll still think you're great." They had stopped in front of the elevator and she reached up to adjust his collar for him. She was glad she'd bought the outfit for him. Jeans and kakis were fine for California, but she'd seriously understated her mother's judgmental eye. Rocky was a great guy, and her mother would eventually realize that, but getting him past the first impression as going to be painful.

Everything Carri knew about fashion she'd learned from her mother. In her youth, Becky White had been a runway and magazine cover model and had later worked with some of the top fashion houses. She'd been introduced to Carri's father while working as a fashion consultant for one of his television dramas and, as Rebecca Hillard, her advice was still much sought after. Carri had grown up wearing all the latest fashions and it had thrilled her mother to no end that her daughter was now considered one of the next generation of trend setters; and she'd been devastated when Carri just up and walked away from it.

"I hope you're right." Rocky sighed as the doors opened.

She grinned. "Come on, when have you known me to be wrong."

Rocky rolled his eyes. "Please, do you want me to start naming things?" He asked, and at that moment, their communicators went off. Carri scooted out of the elevator before the doors could close on them.

"Fabulous." She growled under her breath, storming back through the lobby and flagging the doorman's attention. "Would you tell my parents I forgot something at home and we'll be right back?" she asked him.

"Would you like me to hail a cab Ms Hillard?" The doorman answered.

"No thanks Martin." She called over her shoulder, pulling Rocky down the busy sidewalk after her. "Just tell my mother I'm going to be unusually late, even for me."

* * *

Emily walked into the small reception area of the nursing home and stopped short. Jason was leaning back in one of the large wingback chairs; feet stretched out in front him, seemingly sound asleep. Six old ladies, current residents if she wasn't mistaken, were occupying the large sofa and other wingback chair; simply staring at him. 

"He's been here for about two hours." The receptionist said with a wry smile, "And his entourage keeps growing."

Emily took a deep breath and let it out slowly in frustration, eyes rolling heavenward. This was the fourth day in a row he'd followed her somewhere. Monday night's dinner had been short and fun. The conversation had been light and about absolutely nothing, but she had made it very clear afterwards that she had absolutely no intention of dating him again. However, no didn't seem to be a word Jason took very seriously; either that or he was just plain nuts.

Still, she had to fight very hard not to chuckle at the sight of him being ogled by half a dozen near centurions in the waiting room. As one old lady pointed out, he was a very pretty thing to watch. She didn't believe for one second he was really asleep. She signed out on the visitor register, pulled her keys out of her purse, and quickly walked out the door. Sure enough, not three seconds later he was behind her.

"Hey hold up." He said.

"Why?" She asked coolly, hitting the remote unlock to her car door.

"Maybe because I've been waiting the better part of the morning for you to finish visiting your dad."

"My dad died three months ago." She said, turning around to face him. He stopped short and looked at her in amazement.

"I'm sorry." He said earnestly. "I just assumed…"

Yeah well, I guess you don't know everything about me after all." She said, opening the door and sliding inside.

"Hey wait a minute." He said, keeping her from closing the door. "I want to invite you to Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's."

"Why?" she asked, looking up at him and trying to keep a calm expression on her face. Her heart fluttered despite herself. She really didn't want him back in her life. She was pretty sure what he did for a living at NASADA and she was done losing the people she cared about from high risk living.

"What do you mean why?" He asked, frustration creeping into his voice. "Because it's Thanksgiving and we have a ton of food and you have no other family in town."

"Jase, I told you. I'm not going to date you again." She said firmly.

"It's not a date, it's a family dinner." He insisted. "Do you honestly think I'd take a date to my mom's house? You're an old family friend. My mom and my sister both adored you… and they were excited when I suggested it."

"Old family friend…" She said, deadpan, "I'm your ex-girlfriend."

"There's no rule that says an ex-girlfriend can't be a friend."

"Jase…" She said, hands coming up to rub her temples. "We slept together."

"So…" He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Come on Em, what else are you going today?"

She leaned her head back against the headrest and sighed wearily. The truth was, she had nothing else planned. She hadn't even bought a turkey breast. She really didn't have any immediate family other than her uncle; and he was traveling around in Australia with his buddies. She'd spent the morning visiting the people in the nursing home that she'd become acquainted with while her father was still alive. It was sad really, there were so many residents there that never had a visitor. Many had passed on in the three months since she'd been away and many others didn't even know who she was, but she still went to visit them.

"Why do you keep following me?" She said despairingly and he grinned at her, squatting down so he could see her better…and to keep her from closing the door in his face. "I mean it Jase, I'm not going backward. I'm not going to date you again."

"I get it." He said with a mischievous grin that belied his words. He held both hands up in submission. "Hey, it's a Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house with her new husband, his two punk ass kids… who just happen to hate me, and my sister… who talks incessantly about absolutely anything that floats through her bobble head of a brain. Do you honestly think, if I was trying to get you into another relationship that I'd expose you to that?" He asked with such a silly look that she grinned despite herself. "A date would mean dressing up and trying to impress you. I mean, maybe actually shaving… borrowing my friend's car and taking you out to dinner at a really nice restaurant… someplace quiet with violins playing…"

"Ok fine." She said, cutting him off. "What time?"

"Anytime." He said, his grin spreading into a full fledge smile. "They're just waiting on me to call them."

"I'm not riding your bike." She said firmly and he nodded. Her father's accident had occurred while he was riding his motorcycle and he knew she wouldn't ride one.

"Why don't you follow me?" He said. "That way you could…" but he was interrupted by his communicator chirping. His shoulders visibly sagged and he swore fiercely under his breath.

"Maybe another time." She said, reaching out to grab the door again. He reached out and stopped her from closing it, raising one finger for her to wait.

"Go ahead." He said, not bothering to hide the conversation from her. Tommy would probably have a shit fit if he found out, but he really didn't care. He hadn't actually come right out and told Emily he was a Power Ranger, but he already knew that she knew. Interrupted dates for stupid reasons wore thin way too soon and he wasn't about to play that game again. Besides, he'd already decided that if he was going to try and get her back, he'd have to tell her eventually anyway.

He wasn't in a hurry. It wasn't as if he was ready to settle down anytime soon, but having Emily back in town, and having her work in a high security job at NASADA was too good to be true. They were both working on the New Tech City project, a project that was scheduled to last for more than two decades, and he intended on taking full advantage of that.

"We have a monster with two full squadrons of claybots on the beach with confirmed civilian casualties." Kat Manx's voice came over the speaker. He was a bit surprised to hear her, then remembered that Billy and Trini were most likely still at their rehearsal.

"Alright, I'm on my way." He said gruffly.

"Maybe next time." Emily said again, reaching for the door. He stopped her again, hand coming up in a halting gesture.

"Go home, lock the door. I'll be back to pick you up within an hour with my car."

"An hour?" She repeated.

"An hour." He said firmly. "If I'm late, you'll know where I am and you know I'll be there as fast as I can after I'm done."

"You're serious?" she asked.

"I'm serious." He said firmly. "Now get out of here and get off the freeway as fast as you possibly can. Those things have a tendency to be the first thing a sixty foot monster steps on. Go!" He said roughly, standing up and closing her door.

She started to roll down her window and protest, but as she did so, he transported out in a streak of black light. "Well I guess that answers the question of which uniform he wears." She said to herself.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding." Carri sneered as she transported in and got her first good look at the monster. "Are Rita and Zedd out of their minds or do they just have a sick sense of humor?" 

"What?" Rocky asked, pairing up with Carri as the claybots began their attack.

"It looks like some kind of turkey baster. At least, I think it's a turkey baster...one with beady looking eyes and long spindly legs anyway." Kim said, joining Jason on the counter flank. Sirius had already begun to circle around Tommy and he'd told her he didn't want her anywhere near the henchman during a battle.

"What's a turkey baster?" Rocky asked, also noting that Sirius had singled out Tommy again.

"A hollow tube with a suction ball one end…you use it to spread hot broth over a turkey." Kim said in-between kicks. She was getting really tired of claybots. She'd fought hordes of them for more than two weeks with the Novas, only to come home and fight more of the nasty things. At least Rita and Zedd hadn't perfected their monster making yet. She just wasn't up to another serious monster battle.

"That's not what I was talking about." Carri said, back flipping to avoid a rather nasty snarl of grey warriors. She came to a halt at the edge of the fight and pointed an accusing finger at it. "Call it whatever the hell you want, that thing's a god damn seven foot penis."

Kim and Rocky both stopped in their tracks and stared at the monster, earning themselves several direct hits by claybots. Carri was right, in a way. Kim was a pretty good cook and had immediately recognized it as a kitchen utensil, but Carri didn't cook at all and wouldn't know what it was. She hadn't really considered the phallic nature of the thing, but once Carri pointed it out, she began to giggle.

If Rita and Zedd were going to do a Thanksgiving Day themed monster, there were probably many other objects far more worthy of consideration. Whatever possessed the evil duo to use it would probably remain a mystery, but it shot out scalding hot liquid, which burned through nearly everything it touched, so perhaps there was an answer in that.

"As if it wasn't hard enough to deal with restrictions, Rita and Zedd have to go and rub it in." Carri complained.

"Ha!" Kim giggled.

"What?" Carri asked "What'd I say?"

"Rub it in…" She snickered, flipping backward to avoid another claybot.

"Oh grow up." Jason yelled at them, maneuvering over to Kim's new position. It was useless to fight a claybot on your own, they had to be taken out in several steps. Without a partner to work in tandem with you, you'd fight them forever without much success. "It's obviously been taken out of someone's kitchen."

"Lighten up Jase…" Carri called, from the other side of Rocky. "Mr. Happy over there is a decent distraction, but I would exactly classify him a major threat."

"Not unless we both end up pregnant afterward." Kim snorted.

"Both of you are worse than a bunch of fourteen year old ninnies." He snarled. "My sister has more sense."

"What's with him?" Kim asked, coming back to back with Carri and allowing Jason to team up with Rocky.

"I think he might be a little intimidated." Carri offered Kim grinned behind her helmet.

Actually, there was nothing at all either lewd or lascivious about a kitchen utensil, but Kim was over stressed as it was and, once she started giggling, Carri did too. Each time the monster would shoot at them through its top spout, they would burst out laughing; even when the droplets burned through their uniforms. The result was that the two got knocked around a lot more than they really should have, but neither seemed to care much.

Tommy had his hands full between Sirius and the viratrons and didn't clue in right away to the girls misbehavior, but neither Rocky nor Jason were much amused. Jason was pissed to begin with that he'd been interrupted just when Emily had agreed to go with him to his mom's house and Rocky was just plain pissed off Carri wasn't paying attention to what she was doing. The girls actually stopped fighting at one point, cracking lewd jokes and enticing the monster to attack them head on.

With the boys actively scolding them for their misbehavior, they did straighten up a little but, every time the monster would shout out insults or make a threat, Carri would crack another lewd joke and their antics would start all over again. The problem was, the laughter would take their minds off the fight at hand until the claybots nearly had them. Only when they began to get seriously beat up, did they seem to come back to their senses and continue the battle in earnest. That kind of rollercoaster fighting after weeks of sitting by Carri's bedside on Aquitar sent Rocky's temper into overdrive and he got more than a little knocked around himself trying to keep an eye on the two unruly girls.

"How the hell are they gonna sensor these photos for the kids?" Carri asked as Kim pulled her out of the ever present row of cameras and news crews where they had been unceremoniously dumped by an untimely explosion.

"Not sure I want to answer that one." Kim giggled.

"If you two are done…" Jason growled. "We could use a little help here."

The two girls nodded and ran back to the fight, pistols drawn. "I think I need a little more height." Carri called and Kim nodded, leaning down, hands cupped. Carri ran forward, jumping into the offered stirrup and Kim slung her upward. Pistols firing in rapid succession, she scored direct hit in the monster's "eyes" causing it to stagger backward. She landed on the other side of the battlefield and sprang to her feet just in time to see it warble around unsteadily. Tommy scored a direct hit from the opposite side and it bounced around even more chaotically, losing its balance, and the two girls both stopped fighting and laughed again.

"What's up with them?" Tommy asked, eyes following Sirius and watching the villain re-direct the viratrons.

"Don't ask." Jason said.

"They're gonna get themselves killed is what's up." Rocky complained, temper boiling. "Let's end this thing."

Jason nodded. He'd had enough of the monster, the claybots, and the girls combined; it was time to finish the battle. "We need some heavier equipment."

Tommy agreed and ordered the Zeo Cannon, calling everyone together in position. When the monster finally exploded for good through its top spout, the girls fell out of formation and rolled on the ground until their respective boyfriends pulled them up and told them angrily to knock it off. Unfortunately, it did the predictable thing and grew to sixty feet and the two females immediately fell back to the ground and laughed until they nearly hyperventilated. Eventually, the sixty foot creature got their attention and their training kicked in for real, but not before the guys present were ready to smack them both.

The battle, now that the girls were fully onboard, went true to form and by the time Tommy gave the order for the Zords to unite, the whole thing was over in only fifteen minutes…which got the girls giggling again. The boys were beyond reprimanding them at that point and simply transported out, leaving the two girls to goof around the wreckage. Eventually, they realized they'd been left behind and teleported out as well; leaving behind a very confused Rita and Zedd spying on them through their viewing globe.

* * *

"You're not still mad at me are you?" Carri asked as they walked back through the door to her parent's building a few minutes later and Rocky scowled at her. Dr. Manx had treated her for multiple burns and minor injuries; none of which would have happened if she'd been paying attention. 

"I can't believe you. That was totally unprofessional." He admonished softly so the doorman couldn't hear. Carri burst out laughing, drawing the attention of several people in the lobby.

"So was that monster." She said jovially, rolling her eyes. "At least we got it over with and can enjoy the day now. Still nervous?"

"No." He shook his head. "I got most of the adrenaline out of my system fighting that thing. It wasn't a joke Carri, that was a hard monster."

Carri threw her head back and laughed again and he pulled her roughly through the elevator doors when they opened. "Knock it off." He hissed as the doors closed. "I'm serious.' He growled.

"I know you are." She teased and he rolled his eyes.

She brushed passed him, sliding against him even though she actually didn't have to, and placed a key in the slot next to button for the top floor. He took a deep breath as the elevator began its silent ascent. Carri's parents lived in a huge two story penthouse in the Manhattan; not all that far from Carri's place. If Carri was serious about the price she was going to ask for her little hole in the wall, Rocky couldn't even fathom what her parent's house was worth. Fortunately, most of his nervousness had been worked out on the monster and the rest of it was channeled into the anger he felt at her recklessness. It had been a stupid object to turn into a monster, he admitted silently to himself, but Carri's unruliness had cost both her and Kim direct hits that they otherwise wouldn't have suffered. He always worried about Carri out on the battlefield, he couldn't help it, but stupid mistakes could easily be avoided.

"I love you." He said, the irritation still clear in his voice. "It scares me when you're reckless like that."

Carri's shoulders dropped a little and she regarded him seriously before moving toward him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She bit back a retort about being able to take care of herself and blowing off another inane monster. "I understand." She said simply.

"Do you?" He asked. "Do you have any idea how hard the last few weeks have been? Sitting by you, comatose in the Command Center? Watching the Aquitians tear you apart and put you back together again? It was painful Carri; maybe not as painful as the actual procedures, but it hurt. And then to have to watch you go out and goof around…" He took a deep breath and let it out with exasperation. "I love you." He said again earnestly. "And it scares me to death you're antics are going to get you killed. I don't want to lose you."

"I love you too." She said simply, silently refusing to apologize for her behavior. Maybe she'd been a little sillier than she should have been, but the monster Rita and Zedd sent down had been just ridiculous. She didn't like being told what to do and she didn't like the insinuation that she couldn't handle herself in a fight. Yes, it had been a hard fight and yes, she'd been a little out of line, maybe even a lot out of line, but she had always been in control and she honestly hadn't felt like she was in any real danger.

She debated telling him how energized her new Ninjetti powers made her feel, then thought better of it. She didn't know the extent of these new powers and firmly resolved to make the time to sit down with Kim first before saying anything… if Tommy would ever leave her alone long enough.

The elevator stopped at that point, saving her from having to say anymore to him. The doors opened with a thud to her parent's hallway and before they'd even stepped out of the elevator, her parent's butler opened the door for them.

"Welcome home Miss Hillard." The older man said.

"Happy Thanksgiving Stewart." She said lifting up to kiss him loudly and unceremoniously on the cheek. He smiled briefly, eyes twinkling, but otherwise ignored her action. "This is my boyfriend Rocky." She said, turning and linking her arm through Rocky's arm. "Rocky this is Stewart, he's known me since before I born and probably knows more about me than both my parents combined…and don't let him fool you, he's only stuffy when he's on duty."

The butler nodded at Rocky, but didn't shake his hand when Rocky offered it. Carri shooed the hand away with a smirk and took her coat off, handing it to Stewart and gesturing for Rocky to do the same.

"So, did they eat without us?" Carri asked

"No Miss, I believe Mrs. Barrett was instructed to hold dinner until your arrival."

"Great…" Carri drolled. "I'm sure I'm gonna hear about this one for a while."

"Yes Miss," Stewart said, turning to walk away with their coats. "I'm sure you will."

Carri gave Rocky a mischievous grin and pulled him down the hall and into the main apartment. The penthouse itself was not overly large, but it had high ceilings and was lavishly decorated. The main area downstairs consisted of one large, ornate room with a long dining room table, grand piano and several seating and conversation areas.

Large, floor to ceiling windows showed an extensive view of the city below and a set of French doors off to one side opened up to an equally large balcony area.

"This is where my parents entertain." Carri said, brushing past the lavish room and heading for the staircase tucked away to one side. "It's almost totally for my dad's business and was completely off limits to me when I was kid, but we did eat holiday dinners down here sometimes." She grabbed his hand and pulled him up the staircase only to be met half way by a tall blond man with bright blue eyes.

"Is that really my daughter or is it a mirage?" He teased in a heavy Australian accent.

"It's me." She said in a silly voice, releasing Rocky's hand and hugging her father. She pushed back, kissing his cheek, and turned around to Rocky. "Dad, this is Rocky DeSantos."

"Jonathan Hillard." He said, nodding at Rocky. Rocky shook the firm hand and they turned to continued up the stairs.

"So Carri says you're in business for yourself." Her father said.

"Dad…" Carri warned, reaching back to take Rocky's hand again.

"What?" he father asked, "What could possibly wrong with that question?"

Carri grimaced and asked after her mother, only to be told she was resting and didn't want to be disturbed. "Well if she's going to be that way, I'll just go back to California." She answered testily. "I mean if no one here wants to see me..."

"Hey what am I, chopped liver?" a voice called from down one of the two hallways that split off at the top of the stairs.

They had reached the upper story and walked into what Rocky felt was really a very comfortable family room. Where the entry and main floor had been lavish, this was decorated more toward family living, with warm colors and large leather sofas. There was a big screen television and stone fireplace on one side and off to the other was a good size glass table that was littered with puzzle pieces. Family photos were scattered across just about every surface and Rocky was surprised to see photos of Kim and Jason as well as other people he knew. There was even a small photo of him with Kat and the other Rangers from their high school graduation.

"What? You don't wanna hang around long enough to deal with me?" Her brother Josh said dramatically, making his way from the hall into the living area.

"Eh…" Carri said, noncommittally, but she grinned and returned his hug enthusiastically. She turned and introduced her brother to Rocky, who was taken aback by the physical similarities between the two. Josh was a big guy, slightly bigger than he was, but it was strikingly obvious he and Carri were related. Even though he knew Josh was four years older, they could, without a doubt, have passed as twins. Their father however, with his blond hair and blue eyes, looked far more like Kat's father than the parent of these two and Rocky was stunned just how much the two must have favored their mother.

It struck him then that he'd didn't remember seeing many photos of Carri's family. He knew she had them, and that he'd seen them somewhere, but where her parent's family room was bursting with personal photos, Carri had few to none. Even her apartment here in New York didn't have any personal photographs that he was aware of. That seemed more than a little odd to Rocky and he made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"So how much have I pissed her off this time?" Carri asked, plopping down ungracefully on the sofa next to Rocky and re-taking his hand.

"You're only forty minutes late." Josh said dismissively. "I think she just figured your message meant you were going to be hours not minutes, so she took one of her headache pills and went to lie down."

"Crap." Carri said icily. "That means she'll be out of it for at least another hour." She looked up at Rocky, scowl still firmly in place. "You want to go and come back later?" she asked.

"Carri lie off a bit love." Her dad said easily. "Your mum 'll be out in a bit…let her rest while you visit with us… besides, she'll be happier after she's relaxed a bit."

Josh snorted and Carri shot him an icy look. Carri knew damn well what was going to happen when her mom took one of her headache pills. If she'd taken it with water, she'd be out a good two hours, but if she'd taken it with a martini, they weren't going to be eating dinner until much, much later.

"So, you follow football?" Josh asked Rocky, indicating the pre-game show which was muted, but still playing on the television.

"A bit," He answered, "But I'm a bigger baseball fan."

"Hey, I love baseball." Josh said enthusiastically. "She won't admit to it, but Carri was a really good pitcher. She'd blow the socks off most of the guys I used to play with. It was pretty cool 'cause she was so little… of course, I taught her most of what she knew." Josh said.  
"Really? You pitched?" Rocky asked, turning toward her. She shrugged noncommittally and he grinned at her. The shrug probably meant Josh was right and she was really good. He knew she liked baseball, and they argued enough over their favorite teams, but he didn't know she'd actually played. Then again, Carri didn't offer up too much information about her childhood and what little he knew was mostly second hand. "So you played on a high school team?" He asked her brother, who nodded.

"Yup, I was a drifter, most comfortable at first, or in the outfield… preferably right." Josh told him.  
"I used to play right field." Rocky said. "We'll have play sometime."  
"Ah… no," Josh answered with a laugh. "I haven't played in years, but I still follow it on TV."  
"So… you an Astros fan like Carri?" Rocky asked and Josh burst out laughing.  
"Oh god, no. Don't tell me the two of you actually root for the Astros?"

"Uhm… no, I'm a Dodgers fan. Carri and I bicker over it constantly." Rocky admitted nervously.

"Ha! Good man, so you pick on her for that too?" Josh countered  
"You mean I'm not the only one?"  
"Are you kidding me! She and I still go into shouting matches over who's better…even though they're not in the same division anymore."  
"I think we just have one long drug out debate which will never end." Rocky said ruefully.  
"Don't give ever in." Josh advised "She'll never let you live it down. That's the thing about my sister, she'll keep at you until you cry for mercy and then she'll laugh in your face about it the rest of your life."

"Hey!" Carri all but shouted indignantly, "You're gonna be that way and I'll leave the two of you to stare at each other until mom wakes up." She said, gesturing between her brother and her dad who both raised their hands in mock defense.

Carri pretended to scowl and stew, but Rocky could tell there was a lot of love between her and her brother and dad. The conversation switched to other sports and even though Carri pretended to protest, she joined in animatedly when her brother would dig at her or tease her about her facts. The hour passed quickly and Rocky relaxed, enjoying their company and feeling very welcome. But as easily as the conversation had flowed, it came to a sudden stop and Rocky turned to see that Carri's mother had made her entrance.

* * *

Tommy sighed heavily as he exited the freeway and turned his Jeep onto the street where Kim's mom was staying. Kim was sound asleep in the seat next to him and he seriously debated whether or not to turn the car around and drive her home. 

She and Jason had argued loudly over her antics with Carri and, even though he'd agreed with his friend, he'd had to tell Jason in a quiet, yet firm, voice that he was overstepping himself. That hadn't gone over well at all, on either end, and Kim had ended up giving him a positively evil look that didn't cool until well after the rehearsal dinner was over. He didn't like being angry at Kim, especially with her re-considering marrying him, and had found himself being overly affectionate to her throughout the rehearsal dinner until she warmed up to him again.

She was excessively tired and way more stressed out than he had realized and with all the bruises and burns she and Carri had chalked up, he wasn't sure if she should really go through one more Thanksgiving event. But even as he made a decision to do a U-turn and take her home, her eyes opened and she insisted that they make the last rounds with her family.

Her mom had greeted him with the most affection she'd yet shown him, which he took as a good sign, but one look at the huge banquet she'd prepared and both of them were ready to gag. All they had done, all day long, was eat, but one look at her mother's pale face and both resolved to quietly get through just one more meal.

"So both of you have had a busy day thus far yes?" André asked in his accented English as they sat down to the heavy laden table.

"It's been eventful." Kim sighed, gratefully accepting a large glass of red wine, and her brother covered a chuckle.

"And yet the relatives on both sides have not driven you completely insane, no?" Andre said with a smile as he held a chair for Kim's mom and took his own.

"Mike told us what happened at your father's." Molly said quietly.

"It's fine mom…whatever." Kim said dismissively.

"Well at least you didn't storm out and call everything off." Michael said jokingly, but Kim dropped her fork with a loud clatter and, instead of picking it up, covered her eyes with her hands. Tommy reached down and picked it up for her, then patted her back.

"Oh god…" Her brother moaned. "I was joking Kim, you honestly didn't let dad get to you did you? He was drunk off his ass."

"Watch your language around your little sister." Molly admonished and then turned to her older daughter. "You don't have an announcement for us, do you Kimberly?"

"Molly, leave the girl be…she looks to have had a difficult day." Andre said sympathetically, although he also studied his step-daughter carefully. Kim gave a small bark of laughter at the understatement, but shook her head and held Tommy's hand visibly on top of the table.

"No." She said quietly. "No announcements."

"Good." Charlotte piped up, "Cause momma and I already ordered my dress and I want to be a Jr. Bridesmaid."

"You're the flower girl Charlotte." Molly reminded her as everyone began passing dishes of food around.

"I'm too old to be a flower girl." Charlotte pouted. "That job's for babies."

"It's a lovely little dress Kim." Molly began and the next half hour was spent eating and talking about the wedding plans that were being made.

Kim gave Tommy a rueful look, but he just squeezed her hand. He didn't care if the wedding happened or not. First thing Monday morning he was taking her to Reefside before she had a chance to change her mind again. The conversation switched from wedding plans to Kim's house, and that led to the topic of Michael's business, and then some good hearted teasing about Michael's lack of a love life, before finally winding down over a huge desert that threatened to send everyone's stomachs bursting for good.

"Well," Andre said at last, "Before we dismiss you children from the table to wallow in our state of miserable gluttony, your mother and I have an announcement of our own…well, several announcements as the cases may be, yes Molly?"

"I'm gonna go to school here in California." Charlotte said smugly, causing both Kim and her brother to look at their mother in astonishment. The gallery in Paris was their mother's dream job and nothing, not even her older children growing up and moving back to the States could cause her to give it up.

"Well…" Their mother said slowly. "Andre and I have decided, actually I wanted it and Andre agreed…" She explained with a smile and nod in Andre's direction. "With Kim getting married and both of you living so far away, and with Grandma getting older and not doing so well, I'm just having a difficult time with the idea of going back to Paris in January. So we've contacted a realtor and we're going to re-settle here."

"That's….that's…" Michael began.

"That's wonderful news mom." Kim finished.

"Please curb your mutual excitement." Their mother said drolly.

"No…mom…honestly, that's wonderful. We just didn't think anything would take you away from the gallery." Kim said.

"Well, Sharon and I are going to trade." Her mother said. "She wants to be closer to her daughter and I want to be closer to you two."

"And there are other reasons for this move as well…" Andre pressed, looking directly at Molly. Their mother seemed to squirm slightly in her seat then steeled herself, looking directly at her two older children.

Kim had a sinking feeling and unconsciously grabbed Tommy's hand again. She knew her mother had been very sick lately and had seen several different doctors to find out what was wrong with her. With everything else that had gone wrong that day, an almost overwhelming sense of panic built up inside her. Her mother got on her nerves quite often, but she loved her and if anything was seriously wrong, Kim wasn't sure how she'd handle the news. Tommy gently squeezed her hand in reassurance, and she silently took a deep breath.

"Yes…" Her mother said, pausing for just a moment. "It seems that Andre and I are going to have another baby."

* * *

"Are you completely insane?" Karone asked, just a little too loudly and Andros shushed her, grabbing her arm and pulling her outside. Karone had come over for Thanksgiving dinner. Although she didn't understand the holiday any more than her brother did, it was nice to be included, and she liked visiting with her brother and his in-laws. She knew Andros was frustrated and unhappy with their situation since the fire, but what she didn't expect was for him to excitedly try and convince her to move back with him to the colony on KO-35. "If your wife doesn't have the hutzpah to stand up to you, then I will." She said firmly as he closed the front door behind them. 

"Where do you get those words…hutzpah?" he asked, baffled, and she made an angry face at him.

"You can't honestly think it's a good idea to go back to that colony." She said, heat still in her voice.

"Yes." He said honestly. "I can't guarantee my family's safety here. I want to take them home."

"And you think you'll be any safer there…with Gruumm storming around the galaxies?"

"Gruumm's nowhere near the colony."

"No, not until the refugees flock in from the other core worlds and beef up the infrastructure. That world is as high in raw minerals and materials as Earth is; add in the best and the brightest that have fled from the world's he's already conquered and he'll definitely start looking at it."

"The homestead is already ours." Andros argued. "If we don't settle it, we'll lose it forever."

"Then let it go." Karone spat. "When you're done fantasizing about going back to your roots, maybe you can wake up and realize that little homestead wasn't the utopia you remember it to be."

"What are you talking about? The colony was a wonderful place to grow up."

"Oh sure it was," she said snidely. "It only killed both our parents."

"I don't understand why you're acting like this." He argued, his own voice rising slightly. "You're my sister, that property is half yours, you should be excited that the colony is being re-settled and we can go back."

"Go back?" Karone spat, "Why the hell would I want to go back _there_?"

"Because it's our home, where we were both born. After years of deterioration and abandonment, it's going to be settled again, become a thriving community. Aside from the shipyards, there's been nothing there for decades. It's going to be a thriving planet again. We can be part of that, Sage can grow up with all the benefits of a truly modern society."

"Oh please." Karone sneered, confusing him even more. "If by chance your very Terran wife manages to adapt to the realities of that kind of society, the harshness of colony life is going to drive her insane… and don't forget the most glaring reality of moving back into that little house…"

"What's that?" he asked harshly, his anger starting to rise at his sister's attitude. This wasn't what he'd expected. He knew Karone had as difficult of a time as he had on Earth, he thought she'd jump at the chance to go home.

"That little house is the exact spot our mother sent us out into the backyard to play…and I never got to come home again. I hope to hell you have a better plan for insuring the safety of my niece, or maybe you're just so impressed with the way I turned out you want your daughter to follow in my footsteps."

She turned on her heel and stormed back through the front door, leaving him to sink miserably onto the front steps. He hadn't thought Karone might not have the same good feelings of their family home. She had a point…she never got to go back home. Darkonda had kidnapped her barely fifty feet from their house. She didn't have the same good memories he had of childhood; her childhood had been far different. He rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face firmly with his fingers. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

Carri hugged her mom, kissing her on both cheeks. "Carri dear, I'm glad you decided to finally join us." Her mother said evenly. It wasn't really a reprimand and it wasn't snide, but the sarcasm in her voice was obvious. 

"Face it mom, your life would be hopelessly boring without me." Carri responded evenly. Her mother made a sound, but Rocky couldn't really tell what kind. He stood as they came back around the couch and Carri wrapped her arms around his elbow. Rebecca Hillard was not what Rocky had expected. Her dad and Josh had been so down to earth and easy, he was almost ready to call Jason and tell his friend he was full of shit. Carri introduced him and he shook her mother's soft, and very limp, hand a bit too firmly before she retracted it, looked him up and down, and glided past him.

As Carri pushed him back down on the sofa, her mother sat regally on the side arm of her husband's chair and Rocky was struck by three very significant things. First of all, although Carri had told him her mother was nearly forty when she'd been born, Rebecca barely looked more than a decade older than her daughter. The second thing he noticed was that she was incredibly, strikingly, beautiful; if painfully thin. Carri was gorgeous, no one would deny that, but both women seemed to already know and understand that she was not, and never would be, her mother. The third thing he realized, was that this was where Carri got her waspish side.

There was no doubt in his mind now where Carri got the iron bar that steeled up her personality and the temper that was just plain fierce at times. There was such a familiarity in the way the woman looked him caustically up and down that Rocky actually relaxed at bit. He loved Carri and, despite the fact that her temper drove him to distraction sometimes, he loved that aspect of her personality as much as the sweet and loving side.

Carri's temper was not a front. It was a very real side to her personality that she tried very hard to control. Living and working with her for the past few months, he'd come to understand that personality trait, both the good and the bad sides, and it didn't seem nearly as intimidating in her mother as it was in his girlfriend. He'd seen his girlfriend take down aliens; he seriously doubted her mother was the physical type. In fact, in an odd sort of way, he felt calmed by the coldness. It was familiar, he knew what to expect from it and it didn't bother him any more than when Carri had one of her fits.

"Carri tells us you're a karate teacher." Her mother said sweetly, although the black eyes staring at him were cold as ice. They were much darker than Carri's. His girlfriend's eyes had definitely been tempered by her father's. They were a lighter brown, with gold specks, although he'd seen them twice as hard and cold as the look her mother was giving him now.

"I have my own school." He said simply, nodding and smiling warmly at her.

"Nothing wrong with being in business for yourself." Jonathan said casually. "The way to go if you ask me. Been telling Josh that for years. Builds character…makes a person strong. Carri gets it." He said, giving his daughter a nod. Her mother continued to stare Rocky down. It was so similar to the way Carri looked just before she went into battle that he almost laughed.

"And your parents?" He mother asked casually.

"They're not together." Carri said, giving her mother an equally cold look that said loud and clear she wasn't going to tolerate her mother's digs. Kat had already told them all about Rocky and his family. She could have smacked her cousin, but she hadn't done it out of spite; Rocky was her friend. Josh had asked her and she'd told him.

"My dad abandoned us when I was seventeen." Rocky said honestly. "I've supported my mom and my brothers and sisters ever since."

"Good man." Jonathan commented, taking a swig of his beer. He was impressed with the kid his daughter had brought home. He was a good, stable, sort of fellow and Jonathan could appreciate that. He hadn't started from nothing, like this kid, but it had been pretty close. If there was one thing he respected, it was hard work and the tenacity to make things happen.

"Rocky managed to buy them a house and put the himself and the older ones through college." Carri said casually, to her dad. "But I think I might have sabotaged things for the younger ones." She admitted.

"What do you mean?" Josh asked, standing and pulling another beer out of the bar refrigerator for himself and Rocky.

"I think I convinced him they were taking advantage and needed to be out on their own for a while." The tone she used was sheepish, but her face was anything but repentant and her brother chuckled softly.

"You were right, they were." Rocky said squeezing Carri's hand, "But I'd already come to that same conclusion before I met you." He added firmly.

"And your father? Where is he?" Rebecca asked, not liking the fact she'd somehow lost control of the conversation. The boy was a damn martial arts instructor, she was going to make absolutely sure he knew her daughter was far out of his league, but somehow her husband and son had already welcomed him with open arms and the boy was acting way too comfortable in her home.

Rebecca Hillard prided herself in the fact that she could make just about all of New York society squirm if she wanted to and this kid was regarding her as if she was no more than a bobble-headed housewife. It didn't sit well with her; not at all.

"He's in New Mexico with his girlfriend and three more children." Rocky said easily, although it was not a topic he liked to discuss. "I've told each of the kids when they graduated high school where he is, but none have wanted to contact him so far."

"Oh my." Rebecca answered, her tone and tilt of her head indicating it must be an embarrassing subject.

"No different than some of people we know. Josh said, earning a scowl from his mother. "God, half the people coming tomorrow must be on their second, third, or fourth family."

"What's tomorrow?" Carri said uneasily.

"They didn't tell you?" Josh asked. "Damn, I wondered why you showed up."

"What's tomorrow?" Carri asked her mother coldly.

"I've upped the date for our holiday annual." Her mother said coolly, a sweet cat-like smile spreading across her face. Rocky knew that smile, it was the one Carri got just before she destroyed something. "I thought it would be nice to hold it while both my children were actually in town at the same time."

Carri stiffened and the hand holding Rocky's became almost painfully tight. "I'm afraid we have plans tomorrow." She said simply, giving her mother a merciless look.

"What could you possibly have planned that could take precedence over my holiday annual?" Her mother asked coolly. "Especially since I've rescheduled it specifically to coincide with your visit."

"We didn't bring any formal wear with us mom." Carri said and Rocky watched as the muscles of her jaw began to spasm. "And I, for one, refuse to shop in New York for something that specific on the biggest sale day of the year."

"Oh posh." Her mother said dismissively. "I picked you up something myself, although you seem to have picked up a little weight in California. I'm sure Joanna can easily alter it though."

"I think she looks healthy." Her dad offered; only to be ignored by the women in the room.

"Rocky doesn't have a tux." Carri said firmly.

"Well I'm sure Joanna would have no problem cutting one of Josh's down. Would you like that Rocky?" Her mother asked a bit too sweetly.

Something in Carri's reaction and the way her mother asked him clued Rocky into the knowledge that he should really refuse. "I'm sure I can find something for myself." He said.

"No, it's not that simple." Carri argued tersely, "And he's not wearing Josh's hand-me-downs." Carri said firmly.

"I could take you to my tailor tomorrow." Josh offered. "I mean, you'd have to buy something off the rack, but that's no crime."

"No, it's not possible." Carri said firmly.

"Carri it's just a party." Her dad said. "Lots of people changed their plans at the last second because your mum said you and your new boyfriend would be there."

"They're coming just to see you darling." Her mother insisted.

"I think it'll be fine Car." Josh piped up and Carri scowled at him. "It'll give me someone normal to hang out with all night." He added, drawing a slight smile from one side of her mouth.

"Why don't you go and take a look at the dress I laid out on your bed." Her mother offered and Carri surprised everyone by jumping up and saying that was a fabulous idea. She grabbed Rocky securely by the hand and pulled him firmly down the hallway after her.

Closing the door behind them, she whirled. "This is so not a good idea." She said decisively. "She's totally setting you up. You don't know the first thing about New York society and she's gonna dish you up and serve you to the wolves… what?" She asked as Rocky stared past her.

"It's pink." He said, astounded. "Lots and lots of pink…everywhere."

"Well what'd you expect? It's my childhood bedroom."

Rocky turned slowly, three hundred and sixty degrees, taking in all the pink on pink on pink ruffles and frills and delicate white and gold furniture. Only two things belied the décor and rang true to its former owner: there were two small Brad Pitt posters stapled to the wall over her desk and several Astros stickers slapped haphazardly over the ancient computer monitor that sat on her desktop. The rest of it was just pink. A fluffy, frou-frou, soft and cuddly pink that made him want to burst out laughing.

Then something else caught his eye; something almost hidden by the pink cotton candy canopy that covered her bed. They were belts, karate belts, marking her rank from white all the way up nearly to nearly black. "You took karate?" He asked, turning around and looking at her in astonishment. Her arms were crossed and she had an irritated look on her face.

"Where do you think I learned to fight?" She said acidly. "Cheer practice?"

"I didn't know." He said, still dumbfounded. "Sometimes that happens. You know…" He lowered his voice and glanced back at the door. "You get your powers and sometimes you just know…that's what originally happened with Kim and Kat." He looked back at her rack of belts, calculating the years she must have studied and level she must have been. From the look of the tape attached to them and from the medals hanging off to one side, she'd known her stuff and been to more than one tournament. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, turning back to her with an almost hurt look on his face. Her shoulders deflated a little and she loosened the grip on her arms, but still held them crossed in front of her.

"You're a Karate instructor, you know as well as I do that I cheat when I fight."

"Sometimes you have to." He acknowledged. Actually, Carri didn't have a bad form, she was better than Kim in many respects and Kim was a mean fighter; trained by Dulcea herself. "You didn't get your black belt?" He asked and she shook her head.

"I tested, I just never showed for the belt ceremony."

"Why?" He asked incredulously.

"Well for one, I ran off with Kim and Adam…and for two…I didn't need a belt to tell the world I knew how to stand up for myself…that I respected myself."

Rocky shook his head. Something about what she said made sense to him, but there was something else in the way she said it; a vulnerability in her eyes that told him there was far more to the story than that. He regarded her curiously. He had absolutely no doubt that if he opened that closet of hers he'd find trophies. Why they were kept carefully out of sight was anyone's guess.

There was a reason she'd kept her past sealed tight; a reason he didn't know yet. Carri, as a child, by all accounts of those who'd known her, had been a mousy, quiet little thing that had one day shocked the world by turning into a hellion. Yet, there, in her room, were several years worth of Karate belts; belts earned during the same years she was supposedly a little cheerleading clone. "You want to tell me about it?" He asked.

"No." She said firmly.

"Someday?" He pressed, not wanting to give it up.

"Maybe." She shrugged.

Again, he caught the slight vulnerability in her eyes and wondered at it. He doubted he'd ever really understand her; even if he spent the rest of his life trying.

* * *

Kimora gasped, the feel of the air coursing in and out of her lungs shocking her out of the stupor she'd fallen into. Her last memory was of being trapped in the orb, but where she was now, she had no idea. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and was startled to find that they'd actually focus. 

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Teeg purred. "I have a job for you."


	14. Chapter 14: Something Old, Something New

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 14: Something Old, Something New

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

* * *

Kim closed her cell phone hesitantly and had such a contemplative look on her face that Tommy stopped his work and regarded her curiously. "What is it?" he asked. 

"Nothing." She said, shaking her head and sighing deeply. She put the cell phone down on the side table and leaned back in her chair, staring out the small window.

"Kimberly…" He said patiently, "I thought we said we were going to talk things out more."

She closed her eyes and smiled softly, shaking her head. "It's honestly nothing, just a message from Carri's brother."

"And he would call you…why?" He asked, trying his best to keep the jealousy and irritation out of his voice. He honestly hadn't given Katherine's other cousin a second thought in the last few years, but he suddenly remembered all too well that he and Kim had dated pretty seriously a few years back. Katherine had been furious, although why, Tommy didn't know. Even though he'd been living with Katherine at the time, he'd been crushed to hear that Josh had proposed and stunned when he later found out she'd refused him and the two had broken up.

"She apparently told him I'm getting married." She said dismissively, picking up her empty coffee mug and stretching. "You want more coffee?" She asked, and he shook his head no. "I'm gonna go get more." She said, walking from the room.

She filled her cup, adding milk and sweetener, but instead of returning to his small office, she opened the front door and sat down on the concrete and tile step. It was very early, not quite sunrise, and a cool breeze toyed with her hair. She watched the multicolored sky reflectively; an almost sad look on her face. Thanksgiving had been an emotionally draining day and today, although it had only just started, was proving no different. Why Josh would suddenly call her, she had no idea; they hadn't even traded emails in more than a year. Carri had apparently told him she was getting married and he'd left an almost panicked message on her cell phone saying he still loved her and wanted her back and not to do anything until he could fly back with his sister on Monday and talk things out with her.

She laughed silently to herself. Josh had been nearly as hard to get over as Tommy. He'd been a fabulous lover and she had genuinely fallen for him, but she didn't want him back. He was rich, and gorgeous, and a wonderful guy, but he wasn't Tommy; never had been. She liked where she was, loved being with him again; they fit together better than any other relationship she'd ever had.

"You wanna tell me what's up?" Tommy asked from the doorway, stepping out and sitting next to her. She sipped at the coffee again, but didn't answer right away. He followed her gaze out into the lawn and noticed for the first time all the changes that she'd made to the landscaping. He'd known she liked to work out in the yard, which suited him just fine, and she'd often pass the time there when he was busy in his office. It looked well kept and happy, as if it somehow knew it was in the hands of an expert who would love and pamper it. Hell, he'd been pampered and well kept too since she'd come back, he thought. It didn't sit well with him that another old boyfriend had called her out of the blue and caused this kind of reaction.

"Josh and I dated for a while." She said simply, rubbing her coffee mug in her hands.

"Did it get serious?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer . He wasn't sure he wanted to hear it from her, but he asked anyway. She shrugged and sipped her coffee again.

"He wanted to marry me." She answered.

"And…" He pressed, jealously building.

"And…I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment…_Hidden Adventures_ was just ending and I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life…and Carri this huge problem with us being together; she had a fit about the marriage proposal and we got into this huge fight…and that was the same time my powers went into overdrive…it was a mess." She sighed deeply, considering her words.

Josh had been her first "grown up" relationship. He was nearly five years older than she was and a lot more mature. He knew where he was going in life, had finished his education, had a great job, and was ready to settle down and have a committed relationship…and he wanted her. She didn't exactly love him the way she'd loved Tommy, but she had started to write that love off as a silly teenage obsession and been at a point in her life where she was ready to love again and curious to see what would happen… and Josh had been more than willing to spoil her rotten. It had been a wonderful time in her life.

After her break up with Tommy she had floundered. She'd entered into a "show" relationship with a gymnast friend of hers geared more at squashing the rumors that the boy might be gay, and embarrass Gunter, who publically wouldn't tolerate those kinds of relationships in his gym, rather than any kind of serious love. It was a safe relationship that gave her time to heal and get back on her feet again. It had ended well enough, she had been the best man at his wedding to a male sports photographer, and after that she felt like she was ready to seriously face the world of dating again.

Josh had just sort of happened. He was Carri's brother and would fly out to meet them from time to time while they were shooting _Hidden Adventures_. For some reason they had ended up in the South of France alone together and, when one thing led to another, they suddenly found themselves in the middle of a little fling. To their mutual surprise, the fling lasted a good two years, at the end of which, Josh was very serious about marrying her. It wasn't that she didn't love him, she had, and it wasn't like both families weren't encouraging the match, she was just entering a really tough period in her life. It was the time when she realized her life would never be normal, that she'd never be normal, that the Great Power would always keep calling on her, and she'd desperately feared he would never have been able to accept her for what she was and what she was becoming. Tommy could understand that phase of life all too well and nodded quietly as she talked.

Carri blamed herself for the breakup, Kim added, but the reality was it had very little to do with her. She had reacted very badly to the news that her brother was dating her best friend and had made things difficult for them any time they were together. When Josh announced he was planning to marry her, Carri had gone ballistic and Kim had used the tirade to put him off and cool things down a bit, but the truth was she had needed time to figure out what was happening with her powers. Carri had felt horrible about the whole thing and flown out to Turtle Cove to apologize, but instead found Kim suffering from a high fever and that's when they'd been thrown back six thousand years to fight Ivan.

"After that we emailed and kept in touch, but he's dated at least a dozen women since then and I've been busy with my own life. I haven't heard from him in over a year…now he suddenly calls and leaves a message on my phone?"

"Let me guess," Tommy drolled, a bit nastier than he'd intended. "He didn't exactly say congratulations."

"No." Kim answered, smiling slightly, but refusing to add that Josh had declared his love again and wanted her back. She was with Tommy and very happy where she was. She didn't want Josh back and she certainly didn't want to deal with Tommy's jealous side this morning. She'd have to call Carri and get her to talk some sense into her brother.

"Just out of curiosity…" Tommy asked slowly, trying his best to keep his anger in check, "…just how many other ex-boyfriends are out there that still want to marry you?"

Kim looked up at him in surprise and then chuckled softly. Leave it to Tommy to quietly determine the truth of the matter when nothing had been directly said about it. She grinned, making a slightly shy and silly face, eyes watching the sunrise, which was now glowing in bright, bold colors across the eastern sky. "Not that many." She said quietly. "I honestly didn't have that much time for relationships over the past few years. Between the show I did with Carri and life after…I dunno, life just sort of slipped away."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Josh?" She asked and he nodded. "I'm not going to do anything. I agreed to marry you Tommy, I _want_ to marry you… despite what I said yesterday. I'm very happy where I am and I don't want to go back."

"Then why the long face?"

She shrugged, and smiled wistfully at him. "It's not a long face. I was just thinking of a simpler time when all I had to worry about was remembering my lines and letting Josh spoil me rotten. There was no Teeg, no pressure over evil Rangers and captured coins, no one pulling me in ten thousand directs…I don't want to go back, but it was very happy time for me." She said honestly. "I kinda wish we had such a simple time to live through and get to know each other." She added quietly.

Tommy nodded, but didn't respond. They sat there for a while, each lost in their own thoughts and watching the sunrise until Tommy finally broke the silence. "Anton needs me to come to Reefside today." He said.

"Today?" she asked, "But Billy and Trini's wedding."

"Yeah, I know. I'll be back in time, I'll transport over and transport right back."

"I'll make sure not to mention that to Carri." She said with a giggle. Tommy had come down on her hard the few times he'd caught her using the transporter for personal use; now he was going to do the very same thing. Tommy grinned at her, then gave her a more serious look.

"This is a big deal, one of his distribution companies has a huge order for several thousand of the DNA machines Hayley and I created, but he needs to show them that he has the sole distribution rights to close it."

"Who would order several thousand machines…and you gave him the distribution rights?"

"He has the rights to sell it in that particular country, yes…and you'd be surprised how big those orders can get. But going today means that I won't need to go next week."

"Well that's ok, as long as you're back for the ceremony."

"I meant I won't have the excuse to go to Reefside for what we had planned."

"Oh." She said, turning away and looking out across the small yard again. "Well, that's ok…I mean, we have time." It wasn't that she'd forgotten he'd asked her to simply elope with him next week, she was just nervous about it. Her mother would be furious and his mother wouldn't be happy either. If it didn't work out to go to Reefside, then they'd simply keep the May date.

"I was thinking we could just go to the courthouse after my meeting with Anton today." He said, watching her face closely.

"Huh?" She asked, eyes wide.

"I was thinking…"

"But Billy and Trini's wedding…I have a hair appointment at two… we have to be at the manor by four thirty for pictures."

"My meeting with Anton is at eight, even if it takes longer than the ten minutes he swears is going to take to get the paperwork signed, we can still be at the courthouse by nine."

"But the Hart Family prenup thing…if it's not signed beforehand I lose my trust fund…it's not huge, but it's mine and I don't want to give it up." She argued. It was stupid really, Tommy was worth twenty times what she was, if not more, but she didn't want to give it up if she didn't have to.

"My lawyer already has the copy your family attorney sent him and he'll be at the meeting. I'll tell him to bring it and he can notarize that I signed it…or Anton probably has a notary in his office somewhere."

"But…"

"Kimberly…are you serious about this or not?"

"But…I don't know what to wear."

* * *

As Thomas watched the alternate Kimberly fight her first battle with her new team, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It had worked. Most importantly, no one had noticed why it worked. Transplanting people interdimensionally was done all the time. It was just that adults weren't usually the ones transplanted. 

Thomas had worked on this particular timeline for a very long time. He specialized in repairing the dimensions where the resident Kimberly had been killed by Kemora. The problem was though, there was very little he could do. In nearly all the worlds where Kimberly had been killed by the demon, the dimension eventually turned to a blue line; where evil reigned supreme. Although a green, or good dimension, was something he always strived for and was very happy to see, blue was not a bad thing either; it maintained the stable the balance of good and evil. For every dimension devoted to good, there had to be an equal and opposite devoted to evil. This was the core of the principles they operated under. Stability was the goal, not whether good or evil triumphed.

However, Thomas had been at this for a very long time and had the distinct feeling that the other side, for lack of a better word, was cheating. This particular timeline, just before and after the Zordon wave, was particularly important. It was one of the few times in history that things could really go either way. It was just too convenient that all the worlds Kemora visited turned to evil. Things were just not that simple. Yet, as each Kimberly was removed, the tendency seemed to favor a darker outcome. He was almost positive it wasn't Kimberly herself, but something associated with her. Her presence seemed to smooth things out, to inspire others around her, but it wasn't solely her.

This particular period was a known cornerstone to turn the future decades in the direction they needed to go. Unfortunately, it had been manipulated on both sides to the point where he wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't, but he had a theory; especially in the timeline that involved Kimberly and Tommy. He had lived that timeline; had loved and lost his Kimberly and their son. It was a personal obsession with him to go back and watch the others progress.

Kimberly was always born a twin and Tommy was also born a twin… and both were born within a few weeks of each other. He knew, because he himself was intimately involved with the process, that Tommy and David were placements; which meant that they were specifically placed in a given time period for a given reason. But that still left the choice of which name to be given to which infant up to chance.

The Tommy always became a Ranger and the David always became a spiritual guardian. That was a given and because that was the desired result, no one ever looked twice at it. However twin A repeatedly always had a preference for Kimberly as a pink Ranger and twin B repeatedly had a preference for Katherine as a pink Ranger. That was a minor outcome that no one really thought twice about and had caused him a great deal of lecturing about his priorities when he'd mentioned it to his former mentors, but it had given Thomas quite a good reason to pause. He had lost his Kimberly and at first hadn't been able to understand how the Tommys could love anyone else if their Kimberlys were still alive. That was what had initially spurred his investigations…if only to satisfy his own morbid curiosity.

However, after several centuries and too many dimensions to count, he'd mapped a pattern of sorts. Where Tommy fell in love with Kat, Kimberly died. A minor footnote, true, but those seemed to be the worlds that Kemora targeted most. It couldn't be by chance.

With Kimberly, his findings were a little more difficult to decipher…until just recently. Kimberly was a twin who, in most worlds, lost her identical sister at birth. As all survivors were named Kimberly, no one thought anything of it. However the alternate's twin hadn't perished at birth, but had survived. This had given Thomas a chance travel back in time to study the two and mark their differences. Where twin A survived, she became a strong Ranger who was not unlike K or the alternate he'd transplanted. Those worlds faired markedly better than those where twin B survived to become Kimberly at birth. Twin B tended to be more self centered and far more prissy than twin A. Twin A also had a preference for Tommy, where twin B did not.

Those were minor facts, but he had the distinct feeling that those insignificant details played a big role in the larger outcome. If he was right, and he was pretty sure he was, the DG was being skillfully sabotaged from within, both through Kemora and in the placements of those twins. Proving it would be impossible, but, by watching how the alternate succeeded, he thought he just might have an equally subtle way of fixing the situation.

* * *

Trini was not having a good morning. She was beyond nervous and, for the first time in weeks, she couldn't even look at her breakfast; knowing she'd throw up at any moment. She'd been nervous on and off from the beginning, but the last few weeks had seemed more surreal. Now everything seemed to hit her at once. 

This morning it had started with Billy's refusal to pick his mother and new stepfather up at the airport. Apparently she'd been forced to board a different flight when weather grounded her plane and was now re-routed through Chicago. He refused to hang around the terminal for hours on end wondering if she was actually on the new flight or had just decided it was too inconvenient to bother with. He would pick Aisha and her boyfriend up and drive them to their hotel, but he refused to make another trip back to the airport on his wedding day. Eventually, his dad had agreed to go pick her up, but that just left Billy ranting that his mother might force him to be late as well.

Her mother had also been fretting all week that her traditional Vietnamese dress wouldn't fit on her wedding day and, sure enough, she hadn't been able to zip it up. Whether the baby had a huge growing spurt or she'd simply over-eaten on Thanksgiving, she didn't know, probably the latter, but the zipper was absolutely not going close. Fortunately, she'd spent the night at her parent's house and her mother had made her try on the dress immediately after she'd woken up. Her mother had flown into a conniption fit and within a half an hour she had several aunts and cousins busily re-making the red silk embroidered dress so that it would accommodate her ever growing stomach.

The contractors re-modeling the house had also been driving her crazy demanding she choose everything from what kind of granite to put into the empty kitchen to where they should place the electrical outlets in every single room. She didn't care, the house was a disaster and she just couldn't envision a home by looking at the shell of a house she really didn't want to begin with. The stress of it had actually gotten so bad that she snapped at the designer and asked her what the hell her husband was paying her for if the contractors were calling every ten minutes asking her to decide everything on her own.

The flurry of activity and Billy's foul mood had done nothing to calm her own nerves and now she was seriously in danger of vomiting. To top it off, Kim wasn't answering her cell phone and Trini had no way of telling her that everything had been moved up two hours to accommodate the photographers. She could, she supposed, contact them on their communicators, but using Ranger equipment for personal use was frowned on by Tommy and she just didn't want to deal with him this morning either. All she wanted to do was get the day over with and go on with her life. She sighed deeply and paged Kim's cell one more time, leaving her a text message that their hair appointment was now at noon and they had to be at the Manor by two. She told herself that was the best she could do and she refused to worry about it, but somehow that just didn't help.

* * *

Carri was up way too early, for her anyway. In Angel Grove it was nearly sunrise, but in New York it was already past time to get dressed to hit the sales downtown, so she tried to wake up; despite herself. Quietly, she slid out from under the heavy arm and leg that were thrown across her and made her way to the tiny living room. The one thing she missed about New York, other than the shopping, was looking out over the city. The view from her apartment was incredible and she stopped on her way to the kitchenette to look out over the vista below. Reluctantly, she turned and to get the coffee started brewing, then walked back out toward the open window and laid down on the sofa that faced it. 

As she curled up on the couch, waiting for the coffee to finish, she thought about the past day's events and everything that had to be done this morning. If she was in New York the day after Thanksgiving, there was no way in hell she'd miss going to Filene's. Her mother was mortified by her retail shopping habits, but she'd been quick enough over the years to steal more than one item she'd picked up. She wasn't sure which location she wanted to go to, but she'd definitely hit at least one. It depended on what Rocky was going to do. He was bound and determined to go to her mother's holiday annual, despite her protests, and if Josh took him to his tailor, then she'd hit the store closest to that. Then again, once Rocky figured out how much a tux at Josh's tailor cost…she might as well just save herself the trouble and go where she wanted to. The boys could fend for themselves.

The only place they absolutely had to be was Billy's wedding. It was one of the few times she'd known Tommy to easily agree to use the transporter. They were only going to be able to stay for the ceremony, but Rocky had refused to come to New York at all if it meant not being there. He'd known Billy for years and, even though they hadn't really stayed in touch after high school, they were all friends and team mates now. She had easily agreed, wanting to go herself, but now that they had to be back for the annual, it was going to make for a fairly tight day; especially given the time differences.

Her stomach churned at the idea of introducing him to her old friends and her parent's friends. Rocky didn't embarrass her, that wasn't the issue; rather, it was the other way around. She knew exactly what those people were like, knew exactly what Jason and Kim had thought of them, had tried for years to prove she was different, and she already knew that Rocky was not going to be well received. They had accepted Jason because her mother had…and because they didn't know what he did; the mystery simply playing into it. But Rocky had a life that he'd built for himself that was very proud of. She was very proud of him too, but the others weren't going to see it that way. They paid people to teach them sports, they didn't teach it themselves. To them, she was doing exactly what the tabloids accused her of; having an affair with her instructor. That's what her mother was hoping for, that he'd be intimidated or embarrassed by them or Carri would realize how he didn't fit into that mold and come to her senses. Her mother was in for a big surprise on that front. She had no intentions of letting him go; ever.

There was a chance they'd accept him, but Carri doubted it. She was fairly certain they'd all follow her mother's lead and do their best to trip him up, but it really didn't matter. Rocky was right, he was Power Ranger, he could easily fend for himself and he didn't need her protecting him. He'd been very angry with her last night for trying to weasel out of going. She didn't agree that he understood what her mother was trying to do, but he was right that her dad and her brother were on his side. Hopefully Josh would be able to keep the worst of the pack at bay, but she really wasn't sure and that concerned her. She'd finally acquiesced when he declared very firmly that he understood the situation and it didn't matter; it was her he loved, not her past.

That was what was so different about him. He didn't care about her background or how much money she had in the bank. He loved her for her; the events on Aquitar had proven that. She'd been very careful to keep her parents and her earnings from him. She was all too aware of the effect money had on most men; she'd learned the hard way that a bank account and trust fund made you very desirable. There were quite a few men who'd been willing to overlook her temper in hopes of gaining access to her current and future checkbook and so far only one who loved her just the way she was without having a clue what she'd inherit one day.

She knew he was aware that she was fairly well off, but she doubted he really understood how well off until this trip. She also now knew it wasn't her looks that kept him around, otherwise why stay with her through the Aquitian treatments? Part of her was thrilled, but another part of her was terrified. Over the past few years, she had prided herself on being completely self sufficient, not needing anyone. But the longer she was with him, the more she loved him… and the more she loved him, the stronger the realization was that she needed him. He filled a massive void in her life, but she also didn't want to be reliant on anyone. It was a difficult contradiction and one she wasn't sure how to handle.

As she sat there, her cell phone beeped, indicating she had a new text message. She flipped the screen on and groaned aloud as she read the content. She had known from the look on Josh's face last night that he wasn't as ambivalent about Kim's engagement as he pretended to be. She hadn't thought he'd go so far as to actually call her though.

She cringed visibly. She hadn't behaved well during that relationship and her brother had never really forgiven her for it. But it had been weird. Kim was a true sister of her heart and the idea that she had a very physical relationship with her brother gave her the creeps.

She'd been hopelessly immature about the whole thing and seriously regretted it now, but back then it had been more than she could take to watch them flirt back and forth, or worse, kiss and cuddle each other. One inopportune time she'd actually walked in on them having sex and had been nauseated for days.

She was sorry now that she'd acted so badly, but it was all in the past. Kim fit well with Tommy, but she wasn't so sure she was the one to convince Josh of that.

"What's up?" Rocky asked, rubbing his eyes and indicating the cell phone. He was stunned that she was up before him, but then again, it was the biggest sale day of the year and she was on her home turf.

"Kim…" She muttered, reading the short hand message one more time to make sure she'd read it right.

"Everything ok at home?"

"Yeah…just my brother stirring up trouble."

"Why?" He asked, picking her legs up and sitting down on the small couch. He placed her legs back across his lap and threw his head back, eyes shut, still trying to fathom how she'd managed to wake up so early. They were both still on California time and it couldn't be much past sunrise back home.

"Old news…" She said dismissively, but continued after he opened one unbelieving eye at her. "Josh and Kim dated for a while."

"Is that why he acted so weird when your mom asked about her?"

"That's why he acted so weird when I said she was getting married."

"Ahh…so what kind of trouble did he manage to stir up in just the few hours since we left your parent's place."

"Dunno…" She said, tossing the phone on the side table and sitting up so she could snuggle next to him. It was cold. That was the one bad thing about New York in late November, it was cold and wet. California was much nicer in that respect. "She texted me to ask if I'd tell him not to fly out to Angel Grove with us. She says to say she's happy and she doesn't want him back."

"Jesus…that could be trouble." He said, coming more wide awake. "Tommy's always been really jealous of Kim."

"So I gathered." She answered dryly. "Weird he wasn't like that with Kat…or maybe he was and I just wasn't around enough to notice."

"I dunno." He admitted. "Tommy had already pretty much already made it very clear to every guy in school not to hit on Kim before I met them and I had left the team long before he and Kat got it together. I still saw them from time to time, but I was going in the complete opposite direction they were …" He yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "I think it's worse this time around with Kim, but Jase is arguing it's the same old story... I don't really care to be honest, he can figure it out….so were Kim and Josh serious?"

"Let me put it this way, mom and dad both adored her and he was bound and determined to marry her."

"Christ… keep him out of Angel Grove Car…Tommy'll go ballistic if he finds out she's got another ex still mooning over her. Apparently he didn't even try to be civil with Elemi…and he's another red."

"I agree." Carri said with a sigh, jumping up as the last of the coffee gurgled through the filter.

"Not that I'm all that interested" He said, watching her pull mugs out of the cabinet and fill them. "…but what happened?"

"Between Kim and Josh?" She asked, turning and making her way back to the couch. He nodded and moved aside as she sat back down and handed him one of the mugs. She heaved a huge sigh and looked at him a little sheepishly, running one hand through her tousled hair. "Me…" she admitted guiltily.

* * *

"So now that we understand one another," Teeg purred evilly, "Do you intend to join my forces or shall I destroy the body I made for you and place you back in the orb for the rest of eternity." 

"Do I have a choice?" Kemora growled.

"Not really." Teeg admitted, "So glad you see things my way."

Kemora scowled at the woman in front of her, if you could call her a woman. She was more feline than female; in an evil sort of way. She'd almost gloated as she explained the predicament Kemora was in. Teeg had created her an artificial, clone-like like shell from a DNA sample she'd obtained from K. How, Kemora didn't know, but it looked like a real body and felt like a real body and she still had most, if not all of her powers.

However, if the feline in front of her was correct, it was synthetic and apparently wouldn't wear out like a real body; even when Kemora drained its energy with her powers. The idea appealed to her, what didn't appeal to her was the knowledge that the shell she was trapped in was apparently just as escape proof as the orb… and she was stuck in this dimension. If she didn't obey Teeg's every word, the witch would transform the body back into the orb and she'd be stuck; possibly forever.

Kemora wasn't sure who she wanted to destroy more, K or the creature in front of her. Teeg wanted her to annihilate K, which was desirable, but if Thomas found out she was trapped in one dimension he would definitely come after her. But was that such a bad idea? If the shell she was trapped in was destroyed, or even cracked, then she'd be free again. It was a logical thought and that surprised her. She hadn't thought logically in a very long time. Perhaps there was more to this new body that met the eye. Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed Teeg more closely. "And just what did you have in mind?" Kemora asked icily. "K's not going to just roll over and allow me to cut her throat."

"Kimberly has changed the dynamics of Muirantias."

"In what way?"

"She's connected it to the power chamber of Phaedos. Whichever power controls one, controls both."

"Interesting… And this effects me how?"

"You're Kimberly, just a polar opposite of sorts. I want you to take over the Muirantian chamber."

Kemora laughed, openly and boldly. It wasn't as if she hadn't tried to get back to Muirantias before. As soon as she'd lost her body, she'd tried dimension after dimension, but she'd never succeeded in reaching it again. The problem was, Zordon had been faster than she had been. He and Lerigot had created the Nemesis Triangle, effectively shutting out, or shutting in, anything with evil power. The triangle stretched across dimensions, effectively keeping anyone from crossing it. She was banned, blocked from her own source of power. She could draw from it, but she'd never be one with it again. She told Teeg as much and the woman sneered at her as if she were a simpleton.

"Yes, it is impossible…" Teeg crooned. "Unless you have the key to open it." She said, holding up what appeared to be Lerigot's wand. Kemora lunged for the wand, but in a flash of light, it was gone. "Not so fast." Teeg purred. "One thing at a time."

* * *

Andros finished his morning exercises and collapsed gratefully down on the grass to meditate for a few minutes before the house began stirring. After watching him animatedly for the better part of an hour, his daughter was asleep again in her bouncy chair. He grinned at the way her head lolled to one side and wondered how she was able to sleep so soundly that way. 

She was a good baby, sleeping almost all the way through the night already, but she still woke up way too early for her mother. He didn't mind, he was usually up before dawn anyway and it wasn't a problem for him to get up with her. Besides, despite the fact that most of the people in his culture would have given him a ton a grief over it, he kind of liked cuddling with her in the early mornings and giving her a bottle. It was the only time of day that it was just the two of them and he'd talk to her in Kaoan and tell her all the history and legends of his people.

As the morning sun began to creep towards them, he noticed that the last of the fine blond baby hair she'd been born with was finally falling out and the new, thicker hair was emerging in its place. The new hair was a slightly darker blond which would probably look more like he mother's light brown hair when she got older, but there was also the beginnings of a dark brown, almost black, swatch of hair directly on the top of her head. The short, wispy strands flared out in all directions, looking almost like a little beanie cap.

He moved a little closer to examine the new pattern and grinned a little broader, eyes softening. Not that there was any doubt she was his, but it was kind of nice to see a little physical evidence of it. The bright blue eyes she'd been born with three months ago were darkening and she looked exactly like the baby pictures of her mother. He had one or two images of him and Karone as children, as well as the recording of Karone's last day with them, but no pictures of himself or his sister as infants to compare; which kind of saddened him.

Part of it was cultural. Portraits were taken at specific times, but childhood wasn't chronicled in nearly as much detail as it was on his wife's world; life was harder there and it was considered frivolous and indulgent. Ashley's whole life, as well as her little brother's, was well documented in photographs and movies. In a way, it was kind of nice to be able to compare his daughter to his wife and see her develop the same way. It was one of the few cultural oddities he found pleasing. He moved his daughter's chair slightly to one side and out of the light as the sun rose a little higher. Sighing deeply, he laid back on the grass and stared up at the sky before closing his eyes.

He didn't know what to do. A huge part of him wanted to go home, but another part of him agreed with his sister. KO-35 wasn't any safer than Earth. In fact, Earth was probably located in the more quiet of the two systems. It pleased him to no end that Ashley was willing to go. He'd been prepared for a bigger struggle, but he also didn't want to make a move that big for stupid reasons. The truth was, it wasn't completely safe anywhere.

He'd set up a conference call with Zane later in the day to talk things over with him. Zane was also seriously considering moving his family back to the colony on KO-35, but the difference was, his friend wouldn't actually be living with them. Andros wasn't all that surprised, Zane had never been exactly the domestic type.

His friend had surprised him six years ago by actually doing the responsible thing and buying into the government's demands to increase the population. Despite his continued association with the new Astro Rangers, he'd gone back to KO-34 and allowed the matchmakers to find and contract him, short term, to a Kaoan wife. Five years and three children later, the contract was up and he was done playing the responsible patriarch. The association had ended amicably and Andros privately wondered if Zane's wife was as glad to see it end as his friend was. Still, he had promised his newly ex-spouse that he would help her claim his family's old homestead on KO-35 and had promised to stay connected with them until she and the children were settled.

It chaffed Andros a bit that Zane was the one to go back home and fulfill his obligations to their people. Andros had always been the steady, dependable one and Zane the immature wild card. The former silver Ranger now had three children, all of whom were purebred Kaoan citizens, while Andros had been incredibly selfish and accepted ostracism rather than give Ashley up. That wasn't exactly true, he reminded himself. He was still considered a Kaoan citizen, something most in his position didn't have in their favor. Andros was a hero to his people, a famous Power Ranger, a warrior who had seen his people through their darkest hours. It had been made clear to him that he was welcome back at any time…without his wife and child.

He frowned deeply and opened his eyes, watching the white fluffy clouds drift across the sky. Ashley was his whole world, his entire existence. He could never give her up; a huge part of him would simply shrivel up and die without her. It never failed to astonish him how deeply they were connected. A whole new universe had been opened to him through her; one few, if any, would ever understand.

He hadn't wanted their relationship, had fought it at first. He'd known nothing could ever come of it, she was from Earth and, if he survived the war against Dark Specter, he was expected to marry a Kaoan female. But right from the start she'd been special and after a while he simply figured it couldn't hurt to be together…if only while they were fighting together as Rangers. It had surprised him to no end how crushing it was to watch her return Earth without him. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think through the panic that had engulfed him and, in the end, couldn't let the door to her ship close without jumping back in after her.

He'd never once regretted leaving his world behind for her. He'd been saddened, he'd felt guilty, but he would never, ever, regret being with her. It thrilled him to know she felt the same way and would give up everything to remain by his side too.

He closed his eyes again tightly, grinding his jaw at the next thoughts that came to mind. Karone was right, Ashley was going to hate it on KO-35. She might feel the same way about being with him, but the cold hard facts were that she was from a primitive backwater world and many of the other colonists would snub their nose at her. His daughter would fare a little better, because she was his, but she'd always be labeled a half-breed.

On Earth Ashley had her extended family who loved her and Sage without question. She was also just on the verge of actually becoming a famous designer. Before the fire, she had hired four more seamstresses and they were seriously talking about buying office space and hiring a bigger staff. Right now, her designs were all custom orders to the rich and famous, but she was just beginning negotiations to expand the line with several high end department stores. Did he really have the right to take her away from that?

On the other hand, if he didn't claim that old homestead it would be lost to him forever. It was a last break from his old life, a final cut from his heritage. He didn't know what to do. The thought of another family living there was too much for him. He desperately wanted it back.

Sage sneezed loudly and gave a short, indignant cry at being woken up so rudely. He smiled as her face scrunched up, promising a full fledged crying fit if something wasn't done to remedy the situation immediately. He unstrapped her from the bouncy seat, nestling her between his neck and shoulder and rubbing her back. If they went home he'd be considered slightly perverted for cuddling her so openly. At best, people would sneer at him for spoiling her emotionally. Kaoans were tough; they learned very early to accept the physical boundaries of their society. Coddling a child was unacceptable and it had surprised him that parents on Earth did it so unabashedly.

It had taken Ashley years to break through his ingrained restrictions on open physical contact, but he enjoyed the openness now. He certainly wasn't complaining that his wife preferred to be physically close to him. He enjoyed her affections, it spoiled him, and, once he got used to the idea, he didn't think twice now about returning them. Yet another thing Ashley would have difficulty with and, if he was honest, something he'd have difficulty going back to.

Sage sneezed loudly again and began to wail in earnest. He lifted her up above his head and jiggled her. "I don't think either you or your momma would be very happy to leave this place, do you?" he said, more to himself than his daughter. Sage responded by intensifying her cries and he sighed deeply, placing her back against her shoulder. "I don't think either of you would be happy at all." He said again, standing up and walking back into the small guest house in search of another bottle, "I'm not sure I would either."

* * *

Just before eleven thirty in the morning, Kim found herself walking towards the elevator that would take them to the fifth floor of the county courthouse in Reefside. Although it had been nice to meet Tommy's friend Anton Mercer, the promised ten minute meeting had taken well over an hour and Tommy was fuming by the time the final paper work was signed. Kim didn't think he'd read half of what he'd actually signed, which concerned her, but he didn't appear to care. Anton seemed surprised by both her appearance at the meeting and his friend's agitated behavior, but didn't question Tommy's comment that they had a very tight schedule to keep today. 

They had borrowed the conference room for a short meeting with Tommy's lawyer, where the Hart Family pre-up was signed and notarized by Anton's office notary and then he'd all but dragged her to a local jeweler to buy the rings; muttering angrily when they reached the shop and realized it didn't open until ten.

She'd stalled things a little more than she'd intended by not finding anything she liked, but nothing seemed to look or feel good with her engagement ring. She liked her diamond ring, which was really an anniversary eternity band, and in the end had decided she'd just use that. Tommy hadn't agreed, which kind of surprised her, and finally bought her a matching band to the one he'd picked out. He told her she could wear one or the other, but he was definitely buying her a wedding band.

They hadn't gotten to the courthouse until eleven and, despite Tommy's fear that there would be a huge crowd in the licensing office, they found themselves only third in line. Kim just knew, deep down, that there would be a waiting period of some sort, or at the very least they'd be told they needed an appointment for a justice of the peace, but, to her astonishment, they were told to take the elevator to the fifth floor and sign in.

As the elevator opened and the previous occupants exited, she took a deep breath and nervously slid her hands over her skirt. The suit she'd picked out had been one that she'd bought on a shopping spree with Carri before the reunion. She hadn't intended on buying it, it was a fluff purchase, but it was one of the few outfits she'd tried on that day that fit her to a tee without alterations…and it had been more than seventy-five percent off. The silk suit was a sort of ashy pink and it had a pretty design throughout and she'd really liked it. She'd thought at the time that she could always wear it to one of her friend's weddings, almost everyone she knew seemed to be getting married in the next twelve months, but she never dreamed the first time she'd wear it would be to her own marriage.

"You ok?' Tommy asked calmly as the elevator doors slid shut.

"No." She said, her voice sounding shaky, even to her own ears. "I'm scared out of my mind. This is nuts. You know it and I know it."

"You'll live." He said casually and she fought the urge to reach out and smack him. He regarded her casually, only the twinkle in his eye giving his amusement away. She wasn't amused at all and when the elevator slid doors open a few seconds later, she physically jumped. "Come on Beautiful." He soothed, grabbing her arm and leading her out. "I promise it won't be nearly as difficult as you think it is."

Kim swallowed hard, her legs actually shaking to the point where she could hardly walk. Part of her was slightly embarrassed, she'd faced some of the worst villains in the galaxy, she was a trained master warrior of Phaedos, had been a Power Ranger for most of her life… people got married all the time, why was it so terrifying to her?

Tommy took his hand from her arm and slipped it around her waist, noticing her trembling. Part of him felt badly for pressing the matter and for a moment he almost relented and considered offering her a reprieve. But if she was this nervous about things now, she'd be far worse a week from now, let alone in a month or six months. He wanted it over and done with. He needed to take her with him on his next trip to Eltar and Triforia in a few days and he wanted to be able to claim her as his spouse and register that status in the Intergalactic community.

He was also, he admitted, more than a little jealous that another ex-boyfriend wanted her back. He'd seen the wistful look on her face this morning and, despite her protests, he knew there'd been a lot more feeling between her and Josh than she'd let on. He honestly believed her when she said it was long over between them and he didn't think Josh's visit in a few days would make any difference…but he wasn't about to take any chances either. Anton's call this morning had been providential and he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He calmly led her to the assigned window and signed them in, directing her to sit in the waiting area.

She slid into an open plastic chair, crossing her arms and looking nervously around her. There weren't that many people there, which surprised her, but it was the day after a holiday and she supposed most people would wait until Monday. Above the scuffed up white door next the sign-in window was a number counter which ready twenty-five.

"What number are we?" She asked looking for all the world like a deer caught in the headlights of a Mack truck.

"Twenty-seven." He said calmly, taking the seat next to her.

"Oh god…" she moaned.

* * *

Trini was beginning to panic. It was eleven-thirty and her maid of honor still hadn't responded to her cell phone pages and text messages that their hair appointments had been moved up to noon. She could barely sit still as the nail technician applied the last coat of polish on her nails and directed her to sit under the lamps until they dried. All around her, her aunts and cousins chattered excitedly in Vietnamese, bantering and laughing with the technicians of the salon. 

"Don't worry so much." Her Uncle Henry's wife scolded her gently. "It's not good for the baby. Everything will come out just fine and if your maid of honor doesn't make it, you have a dozen cousins who will be more than happy to step in."

This accelerated the conversations around her and Trini literally took the palms of her hands and placed them over her ears. It wasn't so much that Kim wasn't there with them, getting her nails and hair done, it was that she hadn't responded to the pages. The last thing Trini wanted was a monster attack interrupting the ceremony.

"You have a text message!" Her cousin Jackie said, excitedly waving the phone and dancing up next to her.

"Don't let her mess up her nails." Her mother barked. "Just read it to her."

"No, that's fine, give me the phone." Trini insisted.

"No that's ok." Jackie said, pulling back and keeping it out of her grasp. Trini groaned and prayed Kim wouldn't send anything too revealing back.

"What does it say?" Trini insisted, concerned more than ever by her cousin's frown as she read the text.

"Something's come up…delayed..will be there soon…promise."

Trini sighed heavily, relieved that Kim at least knew the time had been moved up, but fear also constricted her chest. There were too many monster attacks recently. Something was up, even Billy was concerned. Hopefully, whatever it was would be taken care of quickly and they could get on with the day.

Her eyes glanced at one of the clocks on the wall, Billy's mother was due in at one. If she arrived on time and if she'd actually managed to make the flight at all, they'd have to take her directly to the manor to change before photos. Once again she regretted encouraging Billy to wait on his mother. If they had just gone ahead and gotten married when they originally wanted to, her own mother wouldn't have had nearly the time to plan something so elaborate.

Her eyes re-focused on the bustling room and she noticed a short man in a business suit up by the front counter. The lady behind the counter pointed in her direction and the man looked up, meeting her eyes. Trini frowned, her stomach sinking, as he walked forward and stopped directly in front of her.

"Ms Trini Kwan?" he asked and she nodded dumbly. He took out an envelope and held it in front of her. "You've been officially served."

As Trini took the envelope, he turned and left the salon, ignoring the protests and angry chattering of the women around him. She looked after him in astonishment for a few seconds and then turned her attention to the envelope. Ignoring the wet enamel on her nails, she opened it with shaking hands.

"What? What is it?" Her mother demanded, walking over to her, then tisked her and motioned for the nail tech to come back and fixed the smudged nails.

"I'm being sued.' She said incredulously.

"By who?" her cousin asked.

"Geirge….I don't understand it. He got re-married weeks ago."

"Let me see that." Her mother said, firmly snatching the letter out of her hands. She protested, but her mother ignored her.

"You're divorced right?" An aunt asked her.

"I think so." Trini answered numbly. "I mean, he's already re-married. At least I think he is. She's already had the baby."

"I told you that was a disaster waiting to happen." Another aunt fussed. She was talking to Trini's mother and the two were bent over the document as if they could make sense of the whole thing.

Trini motioned to her cousin to give her the phone. Without really thinking about it, she pressed the speed dial to Billy's phone in the lab. She wasn't sure if he was there or not, but she knew he'd forward his calls if he left. On the third ring he picked up. Without any preamble, she burst into tears and sobbed into the phone, "I need you!"

* * *

As Andros walked into the communications and reception center on level eight he was struck by two things. One, it was unusually crowded and two, instead of waiting for him on the other side of a communications panel, Zane was standing there, in person, grinning like an idiot in front of him. 

"What are you doing here?" He gasped, first greeting him with a non formal arm to arm touch and then grabbing him in a full fledged hug. Although they had kept in close contact, they rarely actually saw each other face to face. When work brought Andros back to KO-34, Zane was usually based with the Astro Rangers at the shipyard at KO-35 and Zane hadn't been back to Earth since he'd broken up with Karone.

"I couldn't resist." Zane said unrepentantly. "The techs were delivering a new ship to NASADA and I jumped on board for the ride. Think you can take me back in a few days?"

"I'm not scheduled to go back to KO-34 for another three weeks." Andros answered honestly.

"Works for me." His friend answered casually. "Can you put me up or do I need to look for a bunk on base?"

"Better look for something here." Andros said honestly, "Things at Ashley's parent's house are kind of tight right now, but I'm glad you're staying."

"So what's this about you possibly moving back?" Zane asked, moving out of the way so several humans and Aquitians could move past them."

"It's a long story." Andros replied with a wry look. "I'm not so sure now…Karone's against it, Ashley will go but she doesn't want to…I just don't know what to do."

Zane rolled his eyes and made a dramatic gesture which seemed to indicate he was expecting that answer. Slapping his back affectionately he said in an animated voice, "Why don't you buy me dinner and we'll talk it over."

"It's barely lunchtime here." Andros laughed.

"Then you can buy me lunch." Zane said with a comical face. "I'm starving... that ship might be the fastest yet, but it's food synthetrons stink."

Andros grinned at his friend. They might be older and have families of their own, but he still felt like a kid around Zane. His friend never changed. He was still the same easy going and carefree boy he'd always been. Andros envied him that. Life just didn't seem to faze him.

"Come on, I think Bulkmier's might be opening soon. If not, then I know Bulk will at least let us in early."

* * *

"Oh my god, you didn't…" Carri gasped as she dropped her bags at the front door and walked quickly over to inspect the rental clothes bag hanging on the frame of the master bedroom doorway. This was the last thing she needed to deal with right now. Those creeps who were following her around Angel Grove were watching her check out at Macy's. She'd managed to get a picture of them on her cell phone, so Rocky would have to believe her now. Unfortunately, his cell was dead as a doornail because he'd forgotten his charger, and she didn't want to send it through Josh's, so she'd had to wait until she got home to show it to him. He couldn't argue with her now, it might be a coincidence that they showed up in the same places around Angel Grove, but New York? 

The photo, however, was quickly forgotten as she unhooked the bag from its perch and pointed an accusing finger at it. "What the hell is this?"

"It's all right Carri.' Josh said, standing up and physically moving between his sister and her boyfriend. "I went with him, it's actually a very good tux."

"A rental?" Carri nearly screeched. "My god Josh, mom'll have him chopped to bits and served on crackers…she's gonna have a hissy…you know she can spot those things a mile away."

"I am not gonna spend four month's rent on a suit that I'll wear for a few hours at best." Rocky said firmly, turning the TV on mute and crossing his arms over his chest.

Carri closed her eyes and groaned. She knew it was too good to be true when the boys insisted they could go shopping alone. She kicked herself mentally for not anticipating it; if Rocky was anything it was practical, but Josh totally knew better. She thought for sure Rocky'd either end up buying something or call the whole thing off and go back to Angel Grove like she wanted to.

"Carri it's fine, Rocky found this place online that has some seriously nice stuff. I helped him pick it out myself and miracle of miracles they actually had his size. I might just keep it in mind for myself."

"Let's see it." Carri said, voice deadpan but eyes ready to kill her brother. She tossed the bag indignantly on the couch and Josh picked it up, giving her a snotty look.

Rocky also gave her an impatient look and stood, moving her brother aside, and opening the bag to produce a very nice designer tux, vest and tie. At first glance, Carri was floored, and Rocky noticed smugly that it showed on her face. It was actually a real designer suit and the style was very current. Josh obviously picked out the vest, it was silver and totally wrong for Rocky's personality, but it would pass her mother's first look-over just fine. She combed it over, pulling the seams, examining the lining, checking for wear on the fabric… giving it every scrutiny her mom might. One of the pocket seams had been opened and there was some minor creasing where it might have been altered or repaired once, but on the whole it wasn't bad. The make was probably about two, maybe three years old, and it was a rack version of the designer's label, but on the whole she was fairly impressed. For a rental, it was a damn good suit.

"Where's the shirt?" She asked, the hard edge still in her voice. Josh grinned at her. He knew his sister and knew if the tux could pass her inspection in daylight, it would more than pass his mother's after a few martinis.

"Josh insisted I buy the shirt." Rocky said, by his tone Carri assumed he felt he had paid way too much for it and she was right, it was a rack shirt from Josh's tailor, but a really good one.

"Well?" Josh asked, one eyebrow raised.

"It'll do." Carri said gruffly. Josh gave a loud whoop and grinned at Rocky before she added, "If we arrive late and mom's well into her martini glass."

"Oh come on Car…admit it, we did good." Josh pressed.

Carri gave Rocky a tolerant look, then nodded. "I'm impressed…I had no idea they had rentals like this."

"Rentals about five times the regular price," Rocky grumbled. "The tux I rented for my cousin's wedding was only sixty bucks….what?" He asked as Carri's hands came up to her sides of her head. Her fingers clawed into her hair and for a moment he was seriously concerned for her; they were only just back from Aquitar and he was always alert for setbacks.

"My head…the two of you…" She groaned. "Oh my god my head hurts…and it isn't even three o'clock yet..." She pushed past them into the bedroom and flopped on the bed inside. "I'm not gonna survive today, ya know that?" She moaned.

"Does that mean you don't want to come to the club with us for a couple of beers and a late lunch?" Josh asked, leaning into the bedroom and grinning at his sister. She responded by tossing a pillow at him.

"What's with her?" Rocky asked her brother.

* * *

Shortly before noon on the opposite side of the country Tommy opened a glass door and held it open…for his wife to walk through. Kimberly was still in a daze and he had a good notion it hadn't actually hit her yet. It had hit him, it hit him hard as they were walking out the door to the elevator. He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care. He'd won. It had been the most uncertain battle of his life, but he'd actually gotten her to the altar before she could change her mind again. Kimberly Hart was officially his and his alone. 

"You alright?" He asked. It almost sounded like a giggle. He hadn't been this happy in years. It was almost like the day after their first tryst at the lake, when he was walking to school and suddenly realized what they'd done the night before.

"That's it?" she asked, squinting a bit as she walked out into the bright sunlight. "That's all there was to it?"

"What do you mean is that it? We just got married!" He said animatedly and she simply stared at him like he was an idiot. "You're officially _Mrs. Oliver_." He added, genuinely laughing as that realization very visibly crossed her face.

"But…there was nothing to it…it was over in less than a minute."

"You said you wanted it simple." He said patiently, amused by her behavior.

"Not _that_ simple…"

"Kimberly…"

"But, she didn't even ask us to exchange rings." She sputtered, referring to the officer of the court who had married them. "She just asked if we were there willingly, we signed a form…and that was it…"

"Which reminds me…" He said, taking her left hand and adding her new ring to the finger where her engagement ring was. He took his own ring and put into in her hand, holding his left hand out expectantly.

"But…there was no '_we are gathered'_, no '_you may now kiss the bride_'…just… '_sign here...congratulations...next!" _

I'll gladly kiss the bride if you'll put the damn ring on my finger." He said expectantly.

"Huh?" She asked and he held his left hand up a little higher. "Oh…" she took the ring and added it to his fourth finger. Grinning like a mad hatter, he startled her by scooping her up and kissing her passionately, but despite her slight jump at the onset, he got the distinct feeling she wasn't exactly in attendance. He pulled back and regarded her a moment, arms still firmly around her waist. She was just staring at him like she wasn't entirely sure he was really there.

"You gonna cry?" He asked seriously and watched as her eyes met his and focused a little better.

"That's it?"

"That's it." He said firmly.

"That's all we had to do?" She asked incredulously.

"That's all we had to do."

"And it's really real? It's over and done with..?" She asked as if she still couldn't quite fathom what had just happened.

"Completely legal Beautiful." He said with a grin.

"Holy shit…"

He couldn't help it, he threw his head back and laughed, ignoring the stares of the other people going in and coming out of the courthouse. He tightened his arms around her, picked her up and twirled her around. She squealed and, to his delight, actually laughed as well.

"Oh my god…our mother's are gonna kill us…" She giggled as he came to a stop and set her down.

"Know what?" He asked seriously, hands sliding down across her hips and pulling her into him.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head back and leering at him seductively.

"I really don't care." He whispered, leaning in and kissing her just as soundly as he had before. This time she threw her arms around his neck and responded heartily; while more than one person grinned at them as they passed by.

_

* * *

_

"So what does it mean?" Trini fretted. Billy had transported her back to the Command Center where he'd been working and quickly called her lawyer for her. She was so nervous, she'd begun to sweat and her stomach cramped painfully. Billy had immediately strapped her to a medical bed to make sure everything was alright with the baby and was waiting on hold for Mr. Shills to receive and review the copy of the document he'd faxed. "Can we still get married today?" she asked. She wanted to throw up. Her stomach knotted painfully again and she winced, eyes scanning the readouts to assure herself everything was really ok.

Billy rose from his seat at the communications board and checked various dials and levers. The baby was stable, but she was definitely having contractions. The computer seemed to have it under control though, but whether or not she should move and spend a long day up at the manor was yet to be seen.

"Sweetheart your divorce is final and Geirge is already re-married." He said gently. "Nothing can stop the wedding today except us. Let Shills review the document and he'll tell us what this is all about." He answered her. He was going to strangle that ex-husband of hers. He didn't understand yet what this was all about, but when he found out, he was going to go after that man until he was crushed into pulp.

"But why would he sue me? What does he want?"

"I don't know." Billy said honestly, "Probably just to ruin your wedding…and it's working, you're upset to the point of having contractions. You need to take some deep breaths and let me handle this."

"But…"

"No buts Trini. I don't care if this wedding goes on as planned or not. What I do care about is keeping that pregnancy stable and you healthy. That's all that matters and that's what you need to focus on."

"Billy…I'm sorry." She said, tears breaking free again. She was never one to cry, but the pregnancy had changed that. It seemed like that was all she did lately.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to her.

"I've caused you so much trouble. You didn't ask for any of this. All I've done is bring one drama after another into your life. It isn't fair. You didn't ask for me to turn your life upside down like this."

Billy leaned forward and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I wouldn't trade it for anything." He said gently. "You've brought a lot more good into my life than I could have ever hoped for."

"But I've saddled you with all my problems…and you've been so good me…and I've just sat back and let you handle everything over and over again." She said, tears flowing heavily.

"I love you." He said simply. "I've always loved you. Believe me, compared to everything else going on, this is nothing." He paused and kissed her hand again, grinning a little. "And as for letting me handle things, that's what I want to do. You're responsibility is that baby; nothing else."

She started to answer, but her lawyer's voice came over the communications terminal. Billy rose and lifted the receiver so that she couldn't hear what was being said and she shot him a frustrated look. She wasn't a china doll that was going to break because of some bad news. Then again, she was lying on the medical bed sweating and fighting contractions. His responses were clam, but hard, and the look on his face was murderous.

"What is it?" She asked as he ended the call and walked back to her. "What's going on?"

"It's a frivolous suit and Shill's is going to try and get it dismissed. Honestly Trini, it's bizarre given the situation."

"What? Tell me." She insisted.

"Geirge is suing both you and me in separate suits under some bizarre adultery law. He's saying that we owe him damages because you claimed to be infertile, leading him to dissolve your marriage in hopes of producing children with another woman, and then you immediately turn up pregnant with my child. He's claiming that we've been having an affair for years and faked your infertility so he'd divorce you and you could still take half his possessions."

"That's insane." She said incredulously. "He's the one who's been having extra martial affairs for years…his girlfriend was six months pregnant when he kicked me out."

"I know." Billy said, taking her hand and shaking his head a bit. There was a bit more to it than that, but all of it was bullshit and he wouldn't stress her out with it right now. The pregnancy seemed stable enough, but Trini was already very upset and he wouldn't ruin this day further. She'd find out the complete details soon enough anyway.

"Why? Why would he do this now? He has a new wife and a new baby and he walked away from me with practically everything. I got a tiny settlement considering…I didn't even get the clothes or the photographs I left behind."

"Don't worry about it love." He said gently. "Geirge obviously timed this to ruin the wedding. I wasn't served yet because they can't get close enough to me, but I have a feeling that once I show up at the manor, someone will be waiting for me. Let's not let it bother us ok? Shill's is putting a good team together and he's going to get his associates in Geneva on it right away."

"But what does he think it's going to accomplish?"

"I'm wealthy. He doesn't know how wealthy, but I think he's looked into my public records and put two and two together."

"So it's money?" She asked, a deep frown developing on her forehead. Geirge's parents were fairly well off and he was a good businessman. They hadn't been rich, but life had been a lot more comfortable than with her parents.

"Basically." He said dismissively. Too dismissively, he wasn't telling her the whole story yet.

"How much does he want?" She said in a hard voice that surprised him a bit. In a way, it was good that she was getting angry again. If she got angry, she'd get her fight back and tackle the problem head on rather than sit and fret for hours on end.

"Fifty million." He answered evenly.

"What?" She asked, sitting up and ignoring the alarms of the medical bed. Billy gave her an overly patient look and pushed her back down again. "I don't have fifty million….dollars or anything else." She said incredulously.

"I know, as I said, it's frivolous and we're going to try and get it tossed out. He's obviously trying to make waves in hopes we'll pay him off and be done with it."

Trini laid back and exhaled an impatient breath. Billy understood and squeezed her hand in sympathy. Hopefully, they'd be able to get this thing dismissed and put their wedding day back together again, but he wasn't so sure. Her ex was up to something; he just didn't know what.

* * *

"So now you think you don't want to do it?" Zane asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them as Andros finished his ramblings. He really wasn't surprised. Ashley would hate KO-35. He'd been stunned that his friend was even considering it, but it had been fun to think about living in the same city again. 

"I don't know what to do." Andros said helplessly. "If we stay here, we're targets, if we go, my wife gives up everything…but Sage would have all the benefits of a modern society."

"But their building and intergalactic port city here right?"

"Yeah." Andros answered, nodding his head. "That's what Tommy's trying to do, but it's barely in the blueprint stage now…it could be decades before it's finished."

"But they're building it right?"

"Yeah, they're really going to build it."

Zane leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms behind his head, hands coming to rest behind his neck. That changed everything. A city of Andros's description would fast track Earth as a Federated world. A big city this far from Gruumm's hand would be a powerful draw and make Earth very desirable.

He didn't know Tommy. They'd met briefly right after the Zordon wave, but he'd never gotten to know the legendary Ranger like Andros had. The idea of an academy that would train all Rangers fascinated him. The Rangers all might be on the same side, but every team was very different and very secretive. It would be an awesome opportunity to be able to learn from more than one perspective. To be in on it from the inception, that would be priceless. He wondered if Andros could get him in on it.

"So what do you think?" Andros asked, breaking his friend's chain of thought.

"Honestly?" He asked and Andros nodded. "I think you're insane to want to go back."

"Why?" Andros said with a slight edge in his voice, "Because I don't want to give up my family's prime real estate there and my daughter would grow up with the best education?"

"Because you already have a good life here." Zane answered plainly. "If you go back, yes, you have the land, but I don't know what gives you the idea that the infrastructure is still there. The colony on KO-35 has been a ship building yard for nearly a decade. Some of the roughest dock workers in the galaxy call that city home…it's not what it used to be."

"And yet you're going there."

"It's Moirana's idea, not mine." Zane answered, rolling his eyes and giving his friend a frustrated look. "Don't get me wrong, she's a good mother and this new husband she's signing with is a good guy…I like him and he's good to the kids…but I'm not thrilled my children are leaving KO-34."

Andros leaned back in his chair and stared at the pool area. It was unusually warm for November, but no one was swimming in it. Ashley would be elated to stay, but part of him was deeply saddened to have that land settled by someone else.

"Andros, you have a good thing going here." Zane continued. "You've got a wife that adores you, the support of her entire extended family, you work with some of the most famous Rangers in the galaxy, you're an ambassador for Earth to more than just your home world, …yeah, a couple of punks scared the shit out you, but I'm a hell of a lot more worried about my kids. If Gruumm turns and we're not ready, my children are going to grow up working in the mines of some alien prison camp. You're worried that Saegwyn is gonna get laughed at for her hair and called an alien. I'll tell you right now, this city idea has me thinking. If I can get Moirana interested, I'd much rather bring the kids here."

"Why?"

"Because the whole part of leaving KO-34 for her is that KO-35 is more desirable… less restrictive on what you can and can't do. It's a chance to start over, to make more for our kids. Right now you can't even buy land in some areas on KO-34 if you don't have the right pedigree. I can, because I was a Ranger and my father was who he was…but Moirana can't….she can just hold it for my kids. That frustrates the hell out of her…and she's got a damn good pedigree, just not good enough in some places."

"But your children are still purebreds, you don't have the stigmatism that we face."

"You'd be surprised how attitudes are changing." Zane said honestly. "I doubt it'll happen in our lifetime, but the younger generations like us are tired of being persecuted for the isolationistic ways. We want to be part of the intergalactic community; not restricted from it. We're so inbred…ahhh…it doesn't matter. I doubt when my kids grow up they'll tolerate being assigned spouses and living spaces. Kids just a little younger than us are already leaving in droves just so they can choose their own mate. Things are changing, the old guard isn't as strong as it was before Dark Specter conquered us. Our generation had a taste of freedom during the rebellion and we're not as willing to put up with the old ways."

"And yet you submitted your name and contracted a wife." Andros pointed out and Zane shrugged.

"I had my own reasons." He said unrepentantly. "I don't regret it, my kids are awesome…I love them more than I ever thought was possible…which was why we had three of them instead of two…but I won't do it again."

Andros nodded and a silence fell between them. He needed to talk to his wife again. She'd already said she'd go and they had told her parents they were going, but he didn't think she'd mind at all if he warbled and changed his mind. Her parents had cried all morning that they were leaving and his sister wasn't speaking to him. He said as much and Zane grinned at him.

"And how is Karone?" He asked, just a little of the light dimming in his eyes.

"The same." Andros answered, well aware of how badly his sister had hurt his friend. Part of him was convinced the two still loved each other, but he stayed out of it; passing along information only when it was asked. "She keeps serving as an alternate on Ranger teams. I think she thinks it's the only way to atone for things. In-between assignments she does who knows what for Tommy. I worry about her, but I can't tell her that."

Zane nodded and his eyes turned up a bit. "And people used to call me the wild card." He mused. "Hey, do you think you could introduce me to Tommy?" he asked, changing the subject. Not that he wasn't grateful for any information Andros could pass on about his sister, but he had another idea brewing around in his head.

"You don't know him?" Andros asked, surprised.

"Only met him once after the Zordon wave and didn't have a clue who he was until later." Zane said shaking his head. "Do you think he might be interested in signing on another retiree to this project of his?"

"You're serious?" Andros asked, genuinely surprised.

"Very serious."

"But what about the colony and your work with the rangers on KO-35?"

Zane shrugged and pursed his lips together. The truth was he wasn't traditional enough for the conservative young kids on the Astro team now. They were chosen by the government because they were upstanding young role models and he wasn't considered a very good influence them. True, he'd married and produced three kids, but he still had too many controversial ideas. Those kids had no idea what they were getting into. Only the red had even been out of that sector of space. Zane had traveled the galaxies, he had a wealth of knowledge to share…the new Astros just didn't want to hear it. They kept him around because he was who he was, but if he could jump ship and get onboard with this new city they were building….that could be interesting.

"The new kids on the Astro team seem to want to do things their own way." He said, giving his friend and odd look. Andros frowned but didn't press him on it. That was what he liked best about his friend. He'd only give out his advice if you directly asked for it. The rest of the time, he just waited and listened.

"I think Tommy would be glad to have you." Andros said simply.

* * *

"What happened?" Kim asked, the concern evident in her voice as she walked over to the where Trini was lying on the medical bed. 

"I'm fine." Trini assured her. "Geirge's suing me."

"That's what you mother said." Kim responded. "I would have been here earlier, but she practically tied me to the chair and forced me to get my hair and makeup done."

Trini smiled at the face she made and Kim relaxed a little. She and Tommy had transported back for her hair appointment only to be assaulted by Trini's mother, aunts, and cousins at the salon. They had gone on and on about how nobody knew where the bride and groom were or if the wedding could continue, but no one would let her out of the salon to go find out until her hair was done and she was wearing her dress…just in case. Finally, Kim had sent Tommy out to find out what was going on. He'd returned just as the last of the six layers of hairspray were being lacquered to her half up-do with the news that everything was fine and they were still on schedule.

"So where's Billy?" She asked, looking around the Command Center.

"I convinced him to let me rest and go to the airport with his dad to pick up Aisha and his mother."

"How'd you do that?"

"I told him all his fussing was stressing me out even more." She answered with a grin. "Apparently his mother made the connection in Chicago. She's not on the same plane as Aisha, but the planes land very close to one another. They took two cars so they could make sure to fit everyone."

"Sounds like a plan. You sure you're ok with going ahead?"

"Absolutely. The contractions stopped after a few minutes and I feel fine. Trust me, Billy wasn't about to leave until the computer cleared me… I just hope he doesn't end up yelling at his mother." Trini said with a sigh. "He doesn't like her Kim. He calls her a fruit loop… and Billy never says a word against anyone…well maybe Dr. Franzstien. " She added wryly. "I promised him I'd stay here and rest until he got back."

"Aisha will keep him in check." Kim said knowingly.

"I don't know her all that well." Trini admitted, "But Billy's happy she's coming back out for the wedding."

"Trust me, Aisha is very capable of keeping everyone at the wedding in line. He'll follow her marching orders." Kim said wryly as she helped Trini sit up. "He knows she'll pound him if he doesn't." She added with a grin.

"Geirge wants money." Trini said evenly, breaking the jovial tone.

"If it's not one thing it's another." Kim commented and Trini closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"I thought I was done with him." She said, opening her eyes and looking squarely at Kim. "He wanted me gone, I'm gone. Now I go on with my life and he's not satisfied I didn't suffer enough?"

"Sweetie it's your wedding day. If you let him ruin it, he wins."

"Tell me again why I'm getting married again?" Trini said in a frustrated manner. It was said in jest, but there was an undertone Kim didn't miss.

"Because you married the wrong guy last time. There's a very genuine, very loving man waiting for you who adores you more than life itself. It's going to be ok Trini." Kim assured.

"Did that crystal ball of yours tell you that?" Trini said flippantly.

"It's right this time." Kim stated seriously.

"I thought it was right last time." Trini said sadly. "And I was very, very wrong."

"Trini, we can never know for certain where our actions will lead us." Kim said gently. "We can only determine the best course at the time and act on it. Sometimes it leads us down the right path, sometimes we get detoured. If you hadn't married Geirge, you wouldn't have that baby, don't forget I know the truth on that matter, so you can't ever say it was a wrong decision. Maybe it turned out to be a painful one, but you still got something very good out of it. Right now, you have a man who loves you very much and wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with you. The future's never certain and never clear; it just is. Take the good and the bad together, appreciate them for what they are, and move on with your life."

"Excuse me, but did that just come from the girl who refused to bowl at my fourteenth birthday party because you thought you might crack a nail?" Trini asked, a comically baffled look on her face.

"Yeah well…" Kim said, laughing with her and thinking privately that maybe she should listen to her own adive. "We all grow up sometime."

"Thank you." Trini said seriously.

"Anytime." Kim quipped back, hugging her.

_

* * *

_

Bridgewell Manor was completely decked out by the time Trini arrived. It had been pretty last night at the rehearsal, but this afternoon it was like a fairytale garden decked out with toile and paper lanterns. Her family had worked very hard on it all through the morning and she was suddenly very appreciative. She hadn't wanted a full ceremony, but she was glad now that it was happening. Her mother and her aunts had ushered her into the bride's room where they had somehow managed to have the hairstylist waiting for her and she'd been dressed and combed and pampered until she felt very much like a princess.

There were only about fifty guests, and most of those were her family, but everything was nicely arranged and everyone seemed very happy. The photographers had been taking pictures of her and her extended family for the better part of an hour before Billy arrived. She breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't appear to be in a bad mood and he confirmed that his mother had arrived, but she couldn't get two more words out of him before they were both ordered to pose for their photos together. It wasn't until just before the ceremony, when it was time to take photos with Billy's family, that she actually first saw her future moth in law.

She looked frazzled and agitated, with frizzy blond hair and huge dark sun glasses. She wore an outdated dark blue jacket and a light purple skirt that was way too tight and didn't even come close to matching. On the way to join the lineup, her heel warbled and she fell, her purse contents sprawling across the grass. With the help of her ex-husband and a man Trini assumed was her current husband, she was picked up and dusted off, only to fall backward again as she tried to sit in one of the white chairs set up for the ceremony. The folding chairs flipped over and five of six of them toppled as she tried to right herself. Eventually, she regained her balance, only to pull out the white toile lining the aisle and drag it with her towards the photographers. Several of Trini's cousins scrambled to save it and in her confusion over what they were doing, she ended up wrapping it around herself several times.

"Oh my god…" Trini giggled.

"I know…" Billy said in a frustrated tone. "I told her no cigarettes, I guess the patch isn't enough to keep her from getting jumpy."

"No, it's not that…" Trini giggled a little louder, watching her cousins fuss over and unwrap Billy's mother. She had backed up and was now tangled in a line of paper lanterns as well. "That's where you got it."

"What?"

"I could never figure it out. You'd try your hardest…I thought it was just absentmindedness…it was genetic." She giggled, leaning into him so no one could see her laughing at the scuffle.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, a deep frown developing on his forehead. He was relieved to see Trini smiling, but his mother's behavior was mortifying."

"When we were kids…you were so clumsy… you'd try so hard and the more you tried the worse it got."

"I'm nothing like my mother." He said firmly, the slightest bit of anger showing through his voice.

"Oh love…" Trini said, genuinely laughing for the first time that day. "It's not…that's not what I meant." She said, trying her best to keep a straight face, but she just couldn't. "I don't mind…I never minded…I just didn't know where it came from until now…I haven't seen it in so long…" She put her hand over her mouth and tried her best to keep the giggles down, but it was no use.

Frowning deeply, he turned and marched over to his mother, who now had no less than ten of Trini's relatives and both photographers trying to untangle her. He held her firmly still and eventually the tangle of toile, flowers, and crushed paper lanterns came undone. Freed at last and still wobbling on her heels, she was marched firmly back to the spot where they were taking the formal portraits.

"Mother…" Billy said in a firm, no nonsense voice. "This is Trini."

Trini watched with amusement as his mother continued to dust herself off and straighten off her clothes. Pulling her white shirt tightly back into place and adjusting her thick prescription sunglasses back on her nose. She finally looked up and met her future daughter in law in the eyes, only to rear back once again in shock.

"Oh my god William" His mother all but screeched, eyes wide. "She's an Oriental!"

Billy inhaled sharply, eyes rolling nearly into the back of his head, but Trini burst out laughing. She'd been so frustrated and miserable all morning and it felt so good to laugh now, that she simply couldn't stop herself. She wasn't offended or embarrassed by the comment, she'd been well prepared to meet this woman and already knew what she was like. What embarrassed her what that it was a huge, rude sounding bark of laughter; and very uncharacteristic of her.

Her hand came up to her mouth, but the laughter wouldn't stop. She gasped for breath, but the sound came out like a snort and she laughed even harder. She handed Kim her flowers, covering her mouth with both hands and all but collapsing against the tree they were using as a backdrop as she snorted on the intake again. When Billy put an arm around her, she turned, mascara laced tears running down her face, and smiled mischievously at him. Unfortunately, Billy wasn't laughing, and for his sake, she took a huge breath and forced herself back under control; trying her best to blindly wipe the tears from her face and adjust her eye makeup.

"Mother…" Billy said in a patient tone as he led Trini back over to them, "Carpets are Oriental. Trini is Vietnamese."

Trini didn't think her future mother in law was very happy, either with her son's definition or Trini's ill-concealed laughter. She dutifully shook Trini's hand and exchanged a nice to meet you greeting, but as she released the hand, her eyes became even more impossibly wide behind the thick glasses and she stared, open mouthed at Trini's belly. "Yes," Trini said, nodding her head and wrapping a hand around her stomach. "I'm pregnant, you can say it." She said with an amused grin.

"You might say it's a two for one Oriental special." He Uncle Henry quipped from somewhere behind her and Trini snorted again. She turned just in time to see her aunt pummel her uncle, but several other people were taking Trini's reaction as their own cue how to handle the situation and were laughing as well.

"I need a cigarette." Billy's mother announced and turned to dig through her purse.

"Now Beth, you promised…" The man with her said.

"Can't you at least wait until after the picture?" Billy growled.

"That's ok," Trini said, still giggling. "I think I need to fix my mascara." She turned and kissed his cheek, placing her hand against the side of his head in a loving gesture to say she was fine and not to worry, then turned and walked back toward the manor with Kim. Barely half way there, the two burst out laughing again, and ran inside like giggling school girls.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went smoothly, despite Trini's mother fluttering around and Billy's mother fumbling around. Trini swore up and down that she wasn't the slightest bit offended by his mother, but both Billy and his dad were still beyond mortified. She did, eventually begin to warm up to Trini, but she also tripped during the parents dance and sent not only herself and Billy, but Trini and her father sprawling on the dance floor as well. 

After suffering a fall that really wasn't all that bad, Billy insisted, given the rest of the day and despite her protests that she was having fun, that they leave the reception early. The guests were encouraged to enjoy the music and the food, and the bride and groom left early for a short, but quiet, honeymoon in an undisclosed location. Tommy and Jason swore up and down as they left the venue that they would page him if anything happened while they were gone, then rolled their eyes behind his back and mutually agreed they would do no such thing.

Rocky and Carri also left early, mostly because they technically weren't supposed to be there, but also because New York was three hours ahead of them and it was past be time to change and go to her mother's party. Jason agreed with Rocky that he'd be fine, but he also gave Rocky a significant look and, even though he was only three beers into the night, told his friend in explicative details exactly what he thought of Carri's New York friends and her mother's social events in general. The rest of the Ranger crew in attendance split off into their own groups and simply enjoyed the evening; with Katherine and Kimberly quietly avoiding each other.

Not one person noticed that Tommy and Kim were wearing new rings; which surprised them. Kim had tried to take hers off for the evening, it was Billy and Trini's wedding and she didn't want to steal attention, but Tommy wouldn't hear of it. They had exchanged several long and meaningful looks throughout the day and after their first quiet dance together, they stole away through the gardens to find some peace and quiet and simply be alone together for a while.

"Things are never simple with our group are they?" Tommy commented after a bit, directing her to sit down on a bench and sliding up next to her. He gathered her up in his arms from behind, pulling her onto his lap and kissing her neck and shoulder. "I have to admit, I thought the day was pretty much over when we transported back from Reefside. They pulled it off though."

"It was a nice wedding." Kim said reflectively, shivering a bit in the cooler evening and from his soft kisses. Her pretty, strapless gold silk dress had been way too warm for her earlier, but with the cool night's breeze, she was sorry she'd left the little matching jacket behind on her chair.

"Yeah it was." He said, rubbing her arms for warmth, then wrapping his own around her tightly. "You can still have one you know."

"Kind of defeats the purpose." She said, staring up at the moon above them. The skies had stayed clear and Rita and Zedd had thankfully taken a day off. It had been a good day and she wanted to enjoy every last second of it.

"No, I'm serious. We've got the hotel already booked, we can do it right next time."

"We did it right the first time." She said turning and facing him. "You would not believe how nervous I was walking down that aisle…and I was only the maid of honor."

He grinned and couldn't resist stealing a quick kiss. "This from the girl who won how many gold metals while millions watched the Pan Games?"

"Four." She said, turning back around and snuggling back into him. "But it's different…I dunno…"

"What about just a renewal of vows, no aisle?"

"You're not gonna give up on this are you?" She asked, turning back around. "You already got what you wanted." She said, lifting her left hand and waving it in front of him."

"Yeah I did." He said, grinning. He caught her hand and kissed it. "I got more than I ever hoped."

"Charmer." She said accusingly, turning back around and settling back against him and into his embrace.

They sat there quietly for a while, lost in their own thoughts and the simple peace of the moment before she sat up and faced him again.

"What did your mom say about your Aunt Libby's behavior yesterday?" She asked. She had meant to ask the night before, but the question had been forgotten after her mom and Andre's news about the new baby. "Libby said we've known each other since we were kids…what was that all about?"

"My mom's little sister is about as harebrained as they get Kim." He said in response. "I dunno, she's always been like that. At first digging on me because I was adopted and not really family… then, as I got older and she got more scared of me…just embarrassing me like that. I wouldn't let it worry you."

"But you talked to your mom about it right?" She asked. Tommy had an uneasy look on his face, like he knew something he didn't want to tell her.

"I don't know if we knew each other or not." He said slowly, choosing his words. "Libby makes things up and you can't really tell what's true and what's fiction…I don't think she can tell sometimes."

"But.." Kim prodded.

"But apparently the reason my mom doesn't like your mom is because your mom came barreling into my grandmother's living room one day screaming for Libby to stay the hell away from her husband."

"Oh god…" Kim moaned.

"Yeah…" Tommy sighed. "Apparently she was very pregnant with Michael at the time and Libby was only seventeen."

"Shit." Kim said with feeling.

"It doesn't affect us Kim. It was almost twenty five years ago."

"Oh I know." Kim said, leaning into him. He put his arms around her and kissed the side of her head gently. " I also know my dad…shit. No wonder my mom acts so weird around your mom. It's gonna be a hell of a holiday season, you know that?"

"Then let's make the most of the quiet time while we have it." He said, leaning his cheek against her bare shoulder. "Let's go home."

"But it's early and Aisha and Zack aren't staying in town." She protested weakly. She was honestly torn between going back and visiting with friends she didn't get to see that often and just calling it a day. The music was still playing, she could hear it through the trees, and she kind of wanted to dance a little more. On the other hand, Kat was monopolizing Aisha and Tonya and she really didn't want to hear anymore of her wedding talk.

"It's also our wedding night." He whispered suggestively.

"You've got a point." She answered, standing up quickly and offering him her hand. He grinned at her as he stood up, then gathered her in his arms and pulled her close. They kissed, long and passionately for a moment before he pulled back a little, kissing her forehead gently.

"Come on Mrs. Oliver." He said in a husky voice, "Let's go home."

She grinned at him, eyes twinkling in anticipation of the night to come, before both turned and walked quietly together towards the exit.


	15. Chapter 15: The Beginning of the End

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 15: The Beginning of the End

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. _**The Solar Force Ranger is Chris Incarnate.**_ The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

_**All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

* * *

Teeg was not amused. It was taking longer than she thought to recall her servants from their various duties. Kemora was on board with her plans, for now, but just how long the demon was willing to stay quiet and obey was not certain. The promise of a return to Muirantias intrigued her, but Teeg was not fooled. Once the island had been conquered, she'd fine a way to break the spell holding her captive and be off again. 

She needed more time and that frustrated her. She was infinitely patient, but if all was to go according to plan she must act quickly, before Kimberly could figure out exactly what was going on. Her spies had already reported that Elemi knew the Sabertooth Tiger Coin had been found and she was certain that he would have informed his ex-wife by now.

Slowly, she allowed one finger to caress the glass covering protecting the three coins carefully encased within the security box. Soon she'd return to the Lunar Palace and Rita would have a chance to prove her worth. She wished there was another way to alter the coins, but as far as she knew, Rita's magic was the only magic that had ever successfully altered one of Zordon's coins from good to evil.

Three coins, three Rangers, a full team at her disposal. True, she would have liked five or six, but there was no need to be greedy. She'd obtain the other three soon enough. Once she had all six, she'd intensify her search for the other golden keys that were not already in her possession. The thought made her smile. Soon, very soon, she'd have the gate open far enough to where, even if her master's body couldn't pass through, his sprit would. More virus than living entity, the spirit could posses, or rather infect, anything it chose; even the same indestructible clone body she'd crammed Kemora into. The narrow minded demon had no idea she was a walking experiment. If her body held, there would be no need for her master to seek out an infallible mortal. A mortal who might have a family who wanted it back. That was how she'd lost her master last time. The mortal body he'd taken over had a wife who loved him and wanted him back. To save his soul she'd foolishly given her own life force to lock the Demon King away. It was pathetic.

Now her master would live forever in a body of her own design. They would be back in force and she would have proven herself indispensible.

She closed the security box and placed it back in its protective chamber. From deep down in her chest she suppressed the very audible rumble of a purr.

_

* * *

_

Carri groaned heavily and half assisted, half carried, Rocky through the apartment door. She regretted not accepting the help of the night security officer in the lobby, but Rocky was going on and on about Power Rangers and Angel Grove and, although he hadn't said anything compromising yet, she wanted him inside the apartment with as few witnesses as possible.

This was the last time, she swore silently to herself, that she ever took her communicator off. It didn't matter that the thing wouldn't have gone with her outfit, she had desperately needed to transport her completely intoxicated boyfriend home and had been stuck doing it the old fashioned way.

She was going to murder her brother. He'd been her savior earlier, showing up nearly twenty minutes after she did with a large group of his friends; mostly actors and crew from the newest TV drama he was in charge of. They'd swarmed around them and within minutes she and Rocky were having a fabulous time. The small crowd was laid back and care free and so sickeningly famous it looked like a mini award show reception.

Once it became clear that Rocky was well liked and included by Josh's pack, her old friends backed off and even most of her mom's friends held their tongues. To give her mom a little credit, she'd stewed silently for an hour, then focused on emptying her father's open bar. By one AM, she'd disappeared and Mrs. Barrett informed her that she'd gone directly to bed. Unfortunately, by the time she'd emerged from the kitchen, Rocky was also gone. The beer had flown heavily all night among Josh's group and a very pretty young actress who'd remain behind to flirt with her father told her they'd gone clubbing in search of something stronger.

Carri had been seriously pissed until she spied a scratchy note in her purse giving her the location where the group had headed. On seeing the note, she sort of forgave Rocky for leaving her behind, but not really. Fortunately, she still had enough pull to get inside the exclusive club, but by the time she'd found him he was already regaling a thrilled crowd of young women with stories of the monster attacks in Angel Grove. The rest of the pack had long since disappeared in search of harder, more secretive, substances and Rocky and Josh seemed to be the only ones left that she knew. She'd abandoned her brother, tossed a protesting Rocky in a cab, and headed home.

"What're we doing back here?" Rocky slurred, standing bolt upright, then falling backward, and causing Carri to also lose her balance. With several choice words that would have made Jason proud of her, she kicked off her designer heels and threw him over her back, ignoring the ripping sound of her dress. Like a hunchback, she carried him toward the bedroom.

"Whoa...you're gonna drop me." He complained. Carri groaned and tossed him unceremoniously onto the small double bed. She removed his shoes with two aggravated pulls, resisting the urge to slam them in his face, then proceeded to remove him of the rest of his clothing.

"Why're we back here?" He asked her again, forehead creased in confusion.

"You're cruising at thirty thousand feet without you're zord." She muttered crossly.

"Huh?"

"You're drunk off your ass. Go to sleep."

"The party over?" He asked in bewilderment.

"Yes." She said icily, her voice dripping with irritation. Carri didn't drink much, didn't like the way it made her feel, and she had very little patience or sympathy for those that did. It was nearly four AM on the east coast and she was past exhausted. She'd been ready to leave just before one and to have to go out and chase him and her brother down on a cold and rainy November night had been extremely annoying.

"They liked me didn't they?" He grinned and when Carri looked up at him, she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her mouth.

"Yes, Josh's friends liked you very much." She conceded. "What?" She asked when he just continued to stare at her.

"You look really good in that dress." He leered.

"Yeah well, I'm not much for making love to someone who smells like a cross between stale beer and a Jose Cuervo."

"I'm sorry about your boobs." He slurred, his eyes clearly focusing on the area of her dress that was hanging open as she leaned over him to unbutton his shirt. She frowned at him in confusion; half amused and half annoyed.

"Ok, I'll bite." She said. "Why are you sorry about my boobs."

"You keep fretting 'cause you think you gained weight and that's why you're clothes don't fit you."

"Huh?' She asked, genuinely confused.

"You keep thinking it's impossible that you gained weight on a kelp and gelatin diet on Aquitar." He said, closing his eyes. "It was all my fault… one stupid comment to Cestro." He said drifting off.

"Hey wait a sec." She said, raising her voice and shaking him. " Don't pass out now hero." She said, reaching up and gently trying to slap him awake. True, she'd been a bit frustrated since she got back that her shirts and bras were tight, but she thought that had to do with getting used to the unrestrictive clothing on Aquitar and the soreness of her skin against the artificial materials of her clothes on Earth. Nothing looked too out of the ordinary, at least not to her…then again, she really hadn't paid much attention to her body since she'd gotten back; she was just glad it didn't hurt anymore. Having everyone comment that she didn't look so skinny anymore when she was only up by about two or three pounds had been irritating, but now she wanted to know why he thought he might have had something to do with that.

"What?" he asked grumpily, pushing her hand away. "What do you want?"

"I want to know more about what you said to Cestro and why you're sorry about my boobs."

"Huh?"

"Think. What did you say to Cestro that makes you sorry about my boobs."

"Oh…nothing."

"Bullshit. What did you say Rocky?" She asked, voice taking on a hard edge.

"I uhm…awe Carri don't be mad, it was innocent. I just made a stupid comment to Cestro when the techs were reconstructing the skin on your chest."

"What did you say Rocky?" She asked, the edge deepening in her voice.

"You'll be mad at me." He pouted, closing his eyes again. She shook him forcefully and, ignoring the alcohol smell on his breath, grabbed his shirt with both fists and lifted his head off the pillow.

"What did you say to Cestro about my boobs?" She demanded. It was the kind of thing that would never have worked on him sober, but since he was drunk off his ass, he probably wouldn't remember anyway.

"Said I loved 'em." He giggled. "But I kinda wished they were just a little bit bigger." He grinned and raised his hand up to her face, thumb and forefinger held about an inch apart.

"You what?" She hissed.

"I didn't mean for him to take me seriously." Rocky said defensively. "He was all proud of himself that he was able to turn up the dial a little, so to speak, without anybody noticing."

Carri released him into the pillows, half amused and half furious. So that was why none of her shirts fit. It couldn't have been by much, she'd only loosened her bras by a hook or two to let some of the pressure off her skin. If Rocky wasn't drunk off his ass she would have smacked him. Instead, she watched, slightly amused as he threw his head back on the pillow and began to snore almost instantly.

Rolling her eyes, she trudged back out to the bathroom and quickly undressed and showered, taking a few extra minutes to closely examine her chest in the bathroom mirror before pulling her flannel pajamas on. If she was gonna have a boob job, she decided, she would have gone bigger than what she got, but there was definitely more there than she'd realized.

Returning to the bedroom, her shoulders and mood slumped as she realized he had spread himself across the entire double bed and was basically immovable. Even her pillow was already wet with sweat and drool and she dropped it with a disgusted grunt. All humor lost again, she made another loud angry sound, slapped him across the head with her wet pillow, and stomped out to the tiny second bedroom.

She hated that bedroom, it had been a utility closet with a large, old fashioned washer and dryer when she moved in. Feeling industrious and way too over inspired by the do it yourself shows on TV, she'd converted it and its narrow hallway into a bedroom in hopes of raising the value of the condo. The result was a closet with a twin bed, but it was still a bed and she fell gratefully into it.

She was seriously going to have to give Rocky some shit in the morning and not just because of his drunken behavior with her brother and his friends. She rubbed her eyes and tried to relax a little. It wasn't like she hadn't complained about having a small chest before and it wasn't like it was a massive change, it was that he hadn't fessed up to it. She didn't know whether to laugh, be angry, or chide him about not turning the damn dial up a little more. She sighed heavily and rolled over. She was far more angry about having to search for him and then having to carry him home drunk than she was about her boobs.

She guessed the evening hadn't been a total loss, but she knew they probably would have had a better time if they'd stayed at Billy and Trini's reception; at least she would have. She closed her eyes and felt sleep pull her gratefully towards oblivion, but before she even made it into REM, a small chirping noise brought her fully awake again.

She tossed the covers off and hurried into the other bedroom, but on closer inspection, it wasn't her communicator. Frowning and casting a wary glance in Rocky's direction, she twisted her wrist in a jerky, counter clockwise motion, revealing her wristband and panther power coin. The edges of the wristband glowed on and off and it chirped softly again. Looking back at the sleeping Rocky, she morphed quickly and quietly into Ninjetti mode, then, tapping the glowing crystals, she transported out.

* * *

Tommy was dreaming…he knew that, could feel it even though the nonsensical images were sharp and crisp. The dream meandered along in it's unrealistic way until he could feel himself being pulled deeper in to where his true memories existed. The fog of the dream lifted and he floated for a while until landing safely in a familiar place. This phenomenon only happened when the memory was important to his present situation, so he carefully detached himself from his younger self's narrow vision and watched the unfolding scene patiently from the sidelines. The sights and sounds of the past assailed him once again and he realized where and when his memory had taken him. 

He was packing his Jeep outside the NASADA bunker where the Megaship was stored. A glance at the ship inside confirmed for him that this was the end of the mission to destroy Serpentera; just before he and Andros created the official Red Assembly. His younger self was angry and Tommy forced himself to remember why.

This was the time when he had just finished working his ass off to fast track himself through his bachelor's and master's degrees and, with Mercer's help, had landed into a good, if not fabulous, eighteen month doctoral program. Word had also just reached him that Katherine had moved in with Chris. Their relationship had only been over a few months and the hasty move seemed to confirm to him that there had been more between the two than simple study partners. The realization stung his pride, even though he had been less than faithful to her on his dig with Mercer. There had been a Canadian grad student with them that was far too pretty to be interested in digging up old bones. She had a fiancé waiting for her back home and he had Katherine, but somehow the temporary fling had just happened. He'd returned horrified by what he'd done, but then heard the rumors that she and Chris had been seen all over Angel Grove together; and not just studying.

The older Tommy wanted to tell his younger self to chill a little. He was taking things far too seriously and in a matter of months he'd have far more to worry about than looking foolish in front of his friends. Reefside wasn't going to be the place to make the new start the younger version thought it would. True, it had been a huge achievement to skip most of his senior year in favor of college classes and to fast tract through to his masters when his other friends were just finishing their bachelor's, but Mesogog was about to make his first appearance and the young Tommy in front of him would be frustrated beyond belief that none of the three Dino gems wanted him.

From his detached view, he saw a tiny flash of red light and realized what his younger self hadn't noticed; that Kim had transported to the base. He was never sure where she'd come from, but he watched as his younger self became painfully aware of her presence. He always knew when Kimberly was nearby, a fact that had truly bothered him until recently. His younger self turned calmly, cold mask firmly in place, and regarded her approach.

The older Tommy winced at the bitterness in the younger version's eyes as he stared her down; noticed how the younger Kim paused and absorbed the look. There was a hurt in her eyes as well, and a lost and fragile look that the younger Tommy was too self absorbed to recognize. The older man's heart ached at the vulnerability he saw, especially knowing what was about to come. Gritting his teeth, Tommy tried to banish this particular memory. He wasn't proud of what came next and it wasn't something he wanted to re-live in haunting detail, but the memory simply continued to play slowly forward. He could feel the cool wind bounce off the tarmac, see it tousle her hair, smell her perfume, and worst of all, see the pain and loneliness in her eyes.

"I wondered when you'd show up." His younger self said icily, turning to yank the ropes holding the boxes in his Jeep.

"Congratulations." She said softly, "On the Serpentera mission."

"We got it done." He snapped.

"The morphers held together?" she asked. "Everyone stayed morphed long enough?"

"You want a metal?" He snarled.

"No." she said softly, almost inaudibly. "Just asking. They were all so different, I wasn't sure. Dimetria…"

"What do want Kim?" His younger self whirled around and all but lunged at her. She backed up a few steps, no fear in her eyes, just the sadness that only the older Tommy seemed to notice.

"I need your help." She said softly.

"Not interested." The younger Tommy growled. The older Tommy wanted to smack him, but it was pointless. This was memory; nothing more.

"I helped you when you needed me." She protested.

"Andros and TJ's idea…not mine. I didn't even know you were still on board with things…thanks for the heads up by the way. Makes sense though, Jason's apparently in on the sly, why not you? What is it Andros called you? Kaycea? They way he described you I thought we were dealing with someone really powerful, not one of Dimetria's little couriers. I felt like a god damn idiot when Jason told me it was you."

"Tommy.." she said almost pleadingly. "No one knew my real name except Jason….well at least not until now. Dulcea…"

"I'm the one Zordon left in charge of things." The younger Tommy shouted at her, barely inches from her face, "You owe me at least a heads up what you're doing in the Ranger community." To her credit, the older Tommy noticed, she didn't even flinch.

He realized then that she was already far more powerful than his younger self could have realized. At the time, he thought she was simply the courier between Earth and Eltar. They hadn't been sure the older morphers would hold together and needed them checked out by an outside source. They'd agreed to wait a precious twelve hours only to be amazed that Andros's courier had returned them, fully charged, in less than three.

He realized now that it was probably Kim that boosted the power cells in the morphers using her Muirantian powers; not Dimetria. Cole had admitted to Jason that she'd charged morphers for him and Merrick; this was probably the mission where she'd figured out how to do it. Most had already been restored by the Zordon Wave, but no one knew if they had enough power in them to go up against the Machine Empire again; most of the reds hadn't even tried to morph for years. They'd been so short on time and it had been her efforts that gave them a little extra insurance that there was enough power in them to stay morphed long enough.

The girl before him already had the calm and steady demeanor about her that the older Tommy had recently come to know. She wasn't the silly girl he remembered from this time period, but a confident leader and he wondered briefly if she'd already begun working with Thomas. "I'm the one who should have known you're working with Dimetria, not Andros." The younger Tommy railed at her. Again Tommy wanted to smack his younger self, but he knew the arrogant little boy that he was would be humbled soon enough.

"There's a lot more going on in the universe than just the things Zordon left you in charge of…I have my own assignments…"

"Oh please…" The younger Tommy sneered. "You jumped ship a long time ago. I'm the one who stayed and took on the brunt of the responsibility...what, you felt guilty by Zordon's death and decided to come back and give things another try with Dimetria?"

"Tommy, I didn't come here to compare assignments." She interrupted and the older Tommy noted an impatient red flash in her eyes that the younger version apparently missed.

"What did you come here for then?" He snarled.

"I need your help. I don't know what's happening to me…what happened on Muirantias…I shouldn't be able to do the things I can…I'm afraid if it keeps up I won't be able to control it. I don't know where to go, Dulcea can't help me further and now Dimetria's says she can't help either; this was never supposed to happen."

"If Dulcea and Dimetria can't help you, what the hell makes you think I can?" He snarled.

"You had more time with Zordon…he prepared you. Maybe there's something in his histories, maybe some training he gave to you that he didn't have time…"

"Not my fault you bolted." He said, returning to tying down the ropes.

"Tommy that's not fair. I didn't bolt, I did what I was told to do…"

"Oh yeah, you were told to give up saving the world and become a sports star…._the darling of the Pan Games_." He said sarcastically with enough venom to make her wince.

"That's not all I was told to give up." She said softly, voice breaking a little, and the older Tommy realized that his younger self hadn't heard her. He tied down one box and then turned to add another, completely ignoring the girl.

That was what he hadn't remembered. She was trying to tell him she'd learned Zordon himself might have been involved in separating them. It had been some sort of attempt to balance the continuum, to create an opposite version of Kemora by setting up his Kim to be taken to Muirantias.

Tommy was still trying to make sense of it; it was like a storyline to a bad novel. Zordon had allowed and encouraged them to become extremely close so that his love could help turn her around and bring her back, but then, once she'd been altered, they weren't allowed to be together. Katherine had apparently been his consolation prize because there were numerous worlds where the two had lived long and happy lives together, but in his case the substitution hadn't worked. He'd continued to pine for his Kim; even though he'd refused to admit it.

As Tommy studied the younger Kim's face, he realized she desperately needed to confide in someone. Most likely she was just coming to terms with what being associated with the DG really meant. She was confused and scared. Of course Dimetria couldn't help her, she was loyal to the DG. Kim had been created, her life manipulated. This must have been the time she was coming to grips with things. She had nowhere to turn and had come to him.

He'd blown it. He'd been so angry and so hurt he hadn't seen that this was an opening, a cornerstone that could have changed their history. They would spend another five years in stony silence because of this. Mentally, he kicked himself. She could have been there for all of it. All those nights he'd lain awake, so full of fear and anxiety that Mesogog was all his fault. She could have been there; her experience would have been invaluable. All the answers he had searched so hard for; her training with Dulcea and Dimetria would have made them so much easier to discover…and he would have had her. The thought assaulted him and he felt as if he would physically be ill.

"Tommy…" she said, trying to get his attention. The boy turned to her coldly.

"Go ask Lerigot." He said.

"I can't….it's complicated. I can't even ask Jason."

"Oh well…sucks for you." He said nastily and loaded more boxes from the dwindling pile.

"I'm sorry about Katherine." She said and he stopped short. Without even looking at her, he continued to lift the last of the boxes from the tarmac.

"Why the hell would you care?" He muttered, moving around to the front of the Jeep to look for more rope.

"Tommy, it's not like I just stopped caring what happens to you." She said, but the younger Tommy didn't look up. "I…I thought maybe now that it's over between you two…I don't know… I'm sorry you got hurt again."

"You're _sorry I got hurt again_? Are you fucking kidding me?" The younger Tommy all but flew around the Jeep and towered intimidatingly a few centimeters from her, causing her to lean backward. "You do not have any right to be sorry for anything concerning me, do you understand me?"

"I just meant that…"

"No. You left. End of discussion. You have absolutely no right to feel anything for me ever again. I don't want you anywhere near my life, I don't want to help you with your little problem, I don't want you anywhere near me." He all but screamed. "If you've got problems, learn to deal with them yourself. I'm done rescuing you Kim."

The older Tommy watched with a terrible sense foreboding as a visible wall slid firmly down behind her eyes; a wall that would remain between them for more than five years. That still separated them even though they'd managed to find a way back to one another. "Do you understand me?" The younger Tommy shouted again.

"Perfectly." She replied frigidly.

The older Tommy groaned, but the sound reached only his ears. "You idiot." He reprimanded his younger self. "She would have fallen right back into your arms. She needed to trust someone and she came to you. You could have had her back again. She would have been there for you all through…" He shook his head as he watched the two younger people stare each other down.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time." She replied waspishly and the older Tommy was pleased to see the surprised look on his younger versions face. He hadn't expected that. Before him wasn't the tearful little girl he'd been expecting, but the fully grown warrior of Phaedos; proud and defiant. "Congratulations on your victory." She said with a chill that crept all the way into the bones of his younger self. "You'll not hear from me again." With that she turned and walked slowly, but regally around the side of the bunker.

Tommy watched as his younger self swallowed hard and watched her go, knowing full well the crushing pain that had been in the younger man's chest. He told himself for years that he had done the right thing, that there was no place in his life for that particular female. "You idiot." The older Tommy drolled again. "You think you're so mature, so righteous, you didn't just win that battle, you lost the whole god damn war. I'm still paying for that night. I still can't get her to come to me for help."

As he watched his younger self stare blankly at the retreating form of the woman he had loved all his life, the memory began to fade and he allowed himself to be lulled back into his dreams.

But there was no rest for him there either. He knew he was dreaming. The scene before him hadn't happened, but it had haunted him in his sleep every night since he'd saved her. Kim was dead. He had refused to search out Rita to save her from the effects of Kemora's force field. She had died without him ever telling her how much he loved her. It was a nightmare he experienced over and over again. As he watched Jason tear himself apart in grief, he just stood there, unable to fathom what had just happened. He knew he would wake soon, that she would be there and everything would be fine, but caught up in the throes of the dream, he just wasn't sure and a sense of pure panic enveloped him. He could change it, he had to change it, she couldn't be dead, it wasn't happening….he tried to force himself out of the panic, but this time he couldn't. It was black and cold and all enveloping. His heart pounded in his chest until it nearly exploded….and then it was gone; dissolved into a million colors.

Where he found himself next was equally as frightening, but this was no dream. This was a future thread. Not necessarily the future that would happen, but a very good possibility. This had only happened to him a few times and he knew from his training that it would be very short and he needed to pay close attention to every detail.

It was night and in the same place his younger self had been, but this night was unbearably hot. Lightning flashed across the sky every other second and in the distance he could see the eerie outline of a black tower. There wasn't a soul about and as he watched, the bunker that had once held the Megaship was torn apart by a storm that contained no rain, but sand and debris. The world appeared to be at its end, but how or why eluded him. He forced himself to relax and absorb deeper into the scene before him.

From the wreckage of the bunker walked several teams of Rangers, although he couldn't see which ones. Then, as if she'd transported, Kim was in front of him, eyes blazing red. He blinked and she seemed to multiply, but this Kim, even though her expression was just as fierce didn't have red eyes. He blinked again and standing beside the other two was Kim as he'd known her as a girl. It was a metaphor, it had to be, but what, he didn't know. As he felt himself pulled from the thread he desperately looked around again, trying to absorb every detail. He wouldn't get another chance, this vision wouldn't come to him again. Just before his vision left the scene completely, the lightning struck him directly and he was enveloped in a blinding energy. He was dead.

Waking instantly, he gasped for air and quickly threw his arm out to assure himself that Kim was next to him. He'd unfairly wake her, he knew that, but he desperately needed to feel her there. However, unlike the other nightmares he'd woken from, this time his arm met with an empty space. Still under the effects of the dream, he panicked and jumped up, tearing the sheets off and searching the room for her. There was no one there.

The room was dark and quiet except for the sound of his heart pounding in his chest. He wiped his hand over his face, only to discover that he was sweating profusely. Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath and walked to the tiny master closet. He opened it cautiously, terrified by what he might not find, and immediately collapsed in relief against the door at the sight of her clothes. It was alright. She was there and they had really gotten married yesterday. At that thought, he looked down at his left hand and spied his wedding ring, which further confirmed he had been sound asleep and dreaming. But that left the question as to where is wife was now. A quick search of the house and yard proved she was definitely missing, but where would she go in the middle of the night without telling him?

Quickly, he returned to the bedroom and dressed, immediately transporting to the Command Center. Wherever Kim had gone, he'd be able to trace her communicator signal from there.

* * *

"Alright." Jason said in his best _I've so caught you _voice. "Now that that's over with…out with it." He collapsed in a small chair and plopped his feet up on the white counter with a loud thud. They were in a old inner-dimensional safe-room of Zordon's so he didn't have to worry about the time. The room was held sort of in-between time and space; time moved faster in here than on the outside world. He'd return, nearly as soon as he left, without anyone noticing the difference and still get a good night's sleep. 

He was overly tired. This had not been the night for a mission of this size and magnitude. They'd timed it, so no one would know they went cross-dimensionally, but they'd still been kept far too busy to discuss something like the new ring that had mysteriously appeared on her left hand. He'd been hopelessly hung over the whole time and that, along with her insistence that she'd talk to them after the mission, had only increased his dark mood. It was a relief to be back, Kim was good as her word, they'd only left three minutes ago, but he was tired and grouchy and seriously ready to lay into her.

He couldn't believe he'd missed that ring at Billy's wedding. Then again, he'd been a little drunk from the get-go. He'd picked Zack up from the airport on Friday afternoon and the two hadn't meant to have anything more than a late lunch before heading over to the ceremony, but it was a hot day for November and beer sounded good to them both. Before they knew it, as they socialized, one beer had turned into four and they were seriously late for the small ceremony. Arriving just after the bride walked down the aisle, the two slipped into their chairs and tried their best not to crack up that they'd almost blown it. Only Carri had seemed to notice and she had shot them a scolding look that further made the two grin.

Once the reception started, the two, already in a jovial mood, got the party going with two more rounds of beer, then slid into the harder stuff after the bride and groom left. It had been fun at the time, and to his mortification he had actually gotten up and danced like a buffoon, but he'd seriously paid for it when Kim had called on him close to one AM to help with one of her secret missions. If he didn't know better, he'd have accused her of planning it.

Carri had noticed the new ring almost immediately, but things on the blue world they were assigned to were already at critical mass and it had been impossible to simply stop and discuss Kim's odd relationship with Tommy.

"Out with what?" Kim said as she laid the little bundle in her arms down on the small medical table and began the first of her scans.

"Oh come on Kim." Carri growled, marching over to the table and raising her friend's left hand. She was tired and smelly. She needed a bath and to crawl in bed for a week. It didn't matter that she'd only actually be gone from the apartment less than five minutes, they'd just spent more than twenty hours on a dying world trying to make sure Zordon's secrets didn't fall into the wrong hands. She hated these kinds of missions. The outcome was already certain, she couldn't do anything about it, just get in and get out before the end came, but it was inevitably depressing to watch your loved ones die. She had watched helplessly as her cousin's alternate died of complications of childbirth and wounds received in the final fight for their world. She'd seen death before, but this time it had given her a chill that she simply couldn't shake."_That_." She said testily, indicating the ring on Kim's left finger. "That was definitely not there before."

"Of course it was.' Kim said nonchalantly, but a small grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. She left the small bundle on the table and waved her hand over a hidden consol. The consol sprang to life and, with a quick glance at what time it was on the outside world, she keyed a sequence. The consol beeped and produced a small crystal which, after a moment of concentration, disappeared in a flash of light from her palm.

"You send that to Tom?" Jason asked and she nodded.

"Netau's getting suspicious." She said absently. "Better he use the crystal to come here rather than me try and travel there so soon after closing out a blue world."

"Jesus Christ." He swore. "That's all we need Kim. God damnit, did we have to bring another one back?"

"She made me swear I'd take care of him." Kim said absently, returning to the medical table and tucking the blankets a little tighter around the bundle. It stirred, but then stilled and she smiled wistfully at it. From across the room, Carri made eye contact with Jason and he rolled his eyes.

"And just how many times are we gonna do this?" He asked in an irritated manner.

"As many as it takes." She commented. This was by far the youngest she'd brought back. The baby had been born prematurely, but despite his small and frail size, he'd howled indignantly when she'd pulled him out of his dying mother. The scans indicated his lungs were premature, but he was otherwise fine and she instructed it to take any measures necessary and to help mature and immunize the tiny baby as fully as possible.

"And how many is Tom gonna be able to take?" Carri asked.

"History records Tom and his wife had nine children, all of which survived. This one makes four."

"But we've brought back more than that." Carri said, frowning. Jason gave her a surprised look, but she ignored him.

"It's not safe to place them all in one family." Kim said, opening a small drawer and pulling out several items.

"Damnit Kim," Jason said loudly, slapping one hand firmly down on the counter. "If you're caught…" He started, but he couldn't finish, the loud bang had woken the infant and it wailed indignantly.

"Come on Jase.." Kim said, frustration catching up with her too. It had been a long day and she still had the baby to settle with Tom and sneak home before her own Tommy woke up. She pushed Jason's leg aside and scooped up the wailing bundle, cradling the newborn against her shoulder. She was just as tired as they were. She didn't like these assignments either, but they had to be done. She didn't need to explain any extra circular activities to them. The presence of these kids in their past was stabilizing their world. She didn't know why, it just was. There wasn't another dimension like theirs in the whole universe; why she didn't know. So far no one had successfully managed to stabilize it except for herself and Thomas. She'd continue as long as she had to.

It had started simply enough. On one of her first assignments to a blue lined world with Thomas, the dying Kimberly had begged her to take her son with her and keep him safe. Thomas had coldly turned his back on the woman and ordered her home before the last of humanity was completely destroyed on that planet. Kim had obeyed but, using her own powers to return almost as soon as she left, she quickly took the screaming toddler from his grateful mother; swearing she'd do her best to protect him. She never forgot that alternate Kimberly, but what to do with the toddler was harder to solve than she thought. The DG had very strict rules, the child would die instantly if it was discovered what she'd done and so, probably, would she.

Fortunately, a solution presented itself almost immediately. Through a strange quirk of fate, she'd been re-united with Tommy's clone, who resided in her world's colonial past. Tom wasn't supposed to exist. He had been cloned by the Green Wizard to destroy Tommy, but instead of being destroyed himself, as he had in most dimensions, he had turned to the good. Zordon had allowed him to travel to and live his life in Angel Grove's earliest settlement days. However, it soon became very apparent that, although the wizard had been destroyed, his power had remained behind in his last creation. Power that the DG had every intention of utilizing.

The DG was pragmatic if nothing else. Kimberly had been there when the clone was created, she had been involved, however indirectly, with his transplantation, and since he was technically born to her time zone anyway, she would be in charge of watching over him while they both worked for the DG.

She actually didn't mind this duty. She enjoyed Tom's company. He'd been created from her Tommy's DNA and although he was his exact twin, he was far more jovial and impish than his counterpart and he often kept her in stitches when she visited. It was a nice break from the seriousness that had enveloped her life and the two had formed a tight, almost family-like friendship.

The only sadness that seemed to creep through Tom's life was that he didn't seem to be able to give his wife children. Although a clone was a biological twin, just how Tom was cloned remained unknown. He couldn't bear to see his wife unhappy and had called on Kimberly for help. When she arrived on their doorstep, toddler in tow, it was seen as a miracle to them both. Kimberly was never quite sure how it happened, but it worked and she really hadn't questioned why.

When Thomas had found out he'd been beyond furious. Kim had never encountered the kind of anger he showed her and she was honestly afraid for her own life for a while; until he gave her a chance to explain. History revealed that Tom and his wife had nine children and all lived to adulthood and prospered. How, Kim argued, could he have produced nine children if he was a sterile clone? The children had come from somewhere and Zordon's own records indicated each and every one of them was genetically related to him. Besides, even though she'd interfered, the timeline hadn't budged; obviously she'd been meant to do it.

Thomas had simply stared at her incredulously for a few long moments and then vanished. It was several weeks before he'd showed himself to her again, but when he did, it was to pull her into his confidence. Thomas, it seemed, was the king of transplantation, but where Kim's action had been purely an emotional one, Thomas's actions were pointed and specific; altering certain outcomes. She soon found herself deeply involved in his manipulations, whether she wanted to be or not.

He turned a blind eye to her rescues and she, in turn, aided and abetted him on his pet projects. In the last five years she'd rescued seven children. Not all of them were the children of alternate Kimberlys; she'd rescued one of Adam's and a few were Kat's, including the newborn in front of her. So far, she'd been lucky. Wherever she'd placed a child, the timeline remained stable, but she knew the odds were not in her favor and it was only a matter of time before she screwed up. She was simply not as experienced or detailed as Thomas was.

For the most part she'd stayed strictly in two timelines: Her present and Tom's past. She couldn't press her luck forever; even now Netau was more than a little suspicious, but she would continue as long as she could.

She didn't like involving the others. If she'd had a choice, she would have kept them both out of things. But Jason was just as connected to Muirantias as she was and thus an invaluable asset to her work on blue worlds and Carri…well Carri had sort of unwittingly become involved and now the DG felt she was too good at what she did not to utilize once in a while.

As the baby quieted, she made her way back across the room to the others, but on the way back Jason suddenly swung his leg out, stopping her.

"The ring." He said and she sighed heavily.

"Tommy and I eloped yesterday morning." She said simply. Simultaneously, the other two swore in a loud, exasperated tone and the baby erupted in protest again.

"I cannot believe you let him control you like this." Jason yelled and Kimberly rolled her eyes and gave him a harsh look.

"He's not controlling me." Kim argued, turning to the small synthetron and ordering a bottle for the baby. It quieted almost instantly and she pushed Carri out of her chair so she could sit with it; purposely not looking at either of them.

"Then what the hell happened?" Jason snarled.

"I got scared." She confessed. "The idea of a wedding, I just wasn't as into it as Kat seems to be, I was overwhelmed between my mom and his mom and the families and the bridesmaids. It was too much given everything else that's going on and it was still five months away. He asked if the idea of eloping, just the two of us, would make me feel better. I said yes."

"Shit." Carri spat, plopping down in the chair Jason had vacated. "That's just great. My one and only chance to be a maid of honor."

"Carri.' Jason barked in a disgusted tone. "This is not about you, this is about him railroading her, yet again, and her rolling over and letting him do it."

"Just how many female friends do you think I have?" Carri retorted. "Even my own cousin made me a stinking bride's maid. Buy the dress, smile for the photo, but be in charge of anything? Get to sign the certificate? No…I'm never gonna get a chance at it now!"

"Oh for god's sake." Jason groaned, rubbing his eyes and leaning against the wall. "Kimberly, does it even occur to you that he's totally taken control of you? I love you sweetheart, and I understand you're torn and how easy it is for you to let him manipulate you, but you have got to stand up to him, now more than ever. Sweetheart, I get it, you love him, he doesn't mean it maliciously, but can't you see that's what he does? I love the man like a brother, but he takes charge, damn the consequences, and never looks back. You've got to stand up to him and demand he respect you."

"This isn't a matter of who's the big bad red leading the team Jase, I do stand up to him." Kim said firmly and Jason rolled his eyes in frustration. "He's just really good at backing off and wiggling up to me another way until he gets what he wants." She admitted.

"Well at least you admit it." Carri said morbidly. "But you couldn't you have waited until after I'd been a maid of honor?"

"Carri…." Jason growled.

"No, I'm serious." Carri snapped. "So what if there were three of us, Aisha already got to be a maid of honor and Trini didn't care as long as she was the one who could help choose the dress colors. This was my one and only shot to actually get up front and be in charge of things instead of sitting on the sidelines like a pretty little accessory."

"Kim," Jason said, oozing frustration and shooting Carri a look to be silent, "You know what you need to do."

"Honestly Jase, you're only seeing the superficial stuff. We really do talk things out and he's promised to try and talk to me more before he just marches forward and makes a decision for me."

"Christ, that's a comfort." He said sarcastically. "He planning on leaving your house alone now?"

"Actually," She admitted hesitantly, "I kinda like what he's doing with the house." As soon as she said it, both of them were on their feet and talking over one another in their frustrations.

"Guys, come on, stop. Whatever the two of you feel, this was my decision, besides it was a good idea to go ahead and get married. We can still have the ceremony, God help me, he's still maneuvering to get the ceremony, if only to make his mom happy….it's just better this way.It's over with and now we don't have to worry."

"Why?" Jason asked, eyes narrowing. She winced slightly and raised the baby up to her shoulder, burping it. After a long silence she just looked at him and shrugged.

"What's going on Kim?" He asked warily. She took a deep breath and then looked him directly in the eyes.

"The DG has ordered me to marry him and produce children as quickly as possible or they'll interfere."

Jason exploded, storming around and firing off a tirade that made even Carri blanch. The newborn, startled, screamed and began to wail again. Kim stood up with an icy look and began to walk with it, patting it's back and crooning until it settled down.

"We agreed." He growled and she whirled on him with equal venom.

"It was decided for me Jase." She snarled, surprising him. "You know as well as I do that I have to cooperate or they'll take things into their own hands. Better to have the child on my own and have a huge influence in its upbringing rather than let some creep like Netau raise it. You know I'm right."

"If you have to have a kid, why don't you just keep that one?" Carri said, rubbing her eyes and trying desperately to stay awake. Kim getting married was hard enough to digest, Kim with kids was seriously going to take a while fathom.

"For one thing," Kim said, "He's Kat's…well, her alternate's anyway, that would just be weird; considering. For another, it would be pretty hard to explain how I just happened to show up with a newborn when I haven't been pregnant."

"How does Tom explain it?"

"I only take the littlest ones to him. When I contact him, I give him about ten months warning. Time isn't linear. Their future is our past. Usually, Bessie fakes her pregnancy until Tom returns with the baby. Besides, their farm is way out and she rarely goes into town herself. People still whisper behind her back that she's a witch."

"And the town doctor doesn't notice most of these kids are a little old to be newborns?"

"He is the town doctor." She responded wryly.

"Oh. Well then, next time just go back in time nine or ten months and give yourself warning."

"I can't do that." Kim snapped.

"Why not?"

"Because it would…the continuum, it would be directly altering my own history…you can't do that."

"Bringing those things back across dimensions isn't altering things?" Jason asked, the heavy fatigue showing through in his voice.

"So far it seems to help." Kim said lamely, but it was obvious she really didn't know how to answer.

"Alright fine." Jason said resignedly, "I'm done arguing with you Kim. You just go and do what you want, you're gonna do it anyway. I'm outta here." He walked over to Kim and kissed the top of her head. "Christ," He swore, moving the blanket aside to stare at the baby's head, "He looks just like Tommy."

"Which is why he's going to Tom." She said blandly.

"I worry about you sweetheart." He said seriously, catching her eyes, and she smiled half heartedly at him. He gave her a look that told her, despite what he'd just said, that they'd definitely continue their conversation later. He took the phoenix crystal out of his pocket and tossed it up, catching it with one hand, then turned and left room.

"That went well." Carri said sarcastically and Kim snorted, still walking with the baby.

_

* * *

_

"And you expect me to believe this work of fiction?" Zedd snarled, rising from his throne and shaking his staff.

"My lord," A wingless Goldar groveled before him. "I know not how I survived the Zordon Wave, I simply did. I wandered the galaxies lost in my shame without my lord to guide me. When news reached me of your return, I came immediately to serve you once more. I did not know that you were not the great lord I served, but his successor, still, I offer my loyalties and my experience against the Rangers who now stand between you and your ultimate victory."

"I think it's a brilliant idea." Rita cackled carefully, edging up to Zedd. He turned to look at her, a huge indication of how things had recently changed between them. She didn't believe the blue monkey's story any more than Zedd did, but his experience against the Rangers would be invaluable. Besides, he had served the old Rita for over ten thousand years, he would know a great deal about her and be able to confirm her own findings; especially where she thought the former witch had hidden herself. "He's fought these Rangers before Zedd. His knowledge could be invaluable."

"His knowledge is more than a decade out of date." Zedd snarled. "And his record against them as children is pathetic. How could he possibly face off against them as adults without compromising our forces?"

"You're right Zeddie." Rita said casually, throwing him a bone. "And I agree with you completely, but I still say it can't hurt. His very presence will shock the Rangers if nothing else; perhaps even bring up old insecurities and fears. They don't know what he knows and what he doesn't. He's old guard, for all they know we're beefing up the army and calling old alliances together. You'll instill a sense of alarm in them. That's worth something." She reasoned. "Besides, how he survived the Zordon Wave is unimportant, he did. That in itself will inspire the others that Zordon wasn't as all powerful as those goodie-goodies claim he was… and that Goldar is willing to offer you his allegiance indicates to the rest of the evil alliance that he recognizes you as the new lord Zedd. It confirms your rights from one of the few remaining old guard that you're the heir to Zedd's powers and his empire."

"You have a point." Zedd murmured, thinking carefully. "Very well. Find yourself quarters within the palace dungeons and await my orders." He snarled and Goldar bowed low, backing out of the throne room.

"My lord Zedd, I await my chance to serve you faithfully." He said as he crossed the doorway. Turning, he marched steadily toward the section of the palace he'd formerly occupied. He would not live in the dungeons; he was better than that. He was only slightly amused to note the section that held his old quarters was completely empty and unoccupied. When the old lord Zedd had ruled, the palace had been full to capacity. This little upstart had a long way to go before he could claim his former master's standing.

As he closed the door behind him, he noticed the stealthy figure following him. He wasn't surprised to be watched. He'd have to be very, very careful. Propping himself up on the old dusty bunk, he carefully removed a round, red ruby from where it rested in the center of his chest plate. Activating the crystal, he stared into its glowing depths. "I'm in." He growled simply. Returning the crystal to his chest plate, he leaned back against the wall. He wished he could say it was good to be home.

* * *

Conner stumbled, half blind to the door. "I'm coming." He yelled with irritation as the door bell rang again, this time three times in succession. He hit the hallway light switch and winced as his eyes refused to adjust from the blackness. Rubbing them against the light and trying hard to focus, he pressed one sleep crusted eye against the peep hole and frowned. "What the hell?" He murmured. The bell rang three more times in a row and he quickly undid the chain and latch and opened the door. 

"Oh I'm sorry." Kira said in a bright voice from other side of the door. "We're you asleep?"

"It's one o'clock in the freak'n morning." He growled.

"I know," she said unrepentantly and brushed passed him, large shoulder bag jostling him roughly. "My call back isn't until nine thirty and there's absolutely nothing open. Can I crash here?" She asked, just a little too sweetly.

He looked at her in astonishment for a second and then re-locked the door. Turning and moving her aside, he pulled a pillow and a blanket from the hall closet. Wordlessly, he deposited both unceremoniously on the couch and marched back into his bedroom.

"I love you too!" She called behind him in an amused voice. He simply slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Tommy was a little frustrated. According to her communicator, Kim was out in the middle of the old Power Chamber ruins, a good seventy five feet down. Then, as quickly as her signal appeared, it disappeared, but she was still there; just not. It didn't make sense. Frowning, he racked his brain trying to think what could have been out there that would draw her out at one in the morning. As he stared at the readouts, a light flashed and the system picked up Jason and Carri's muted communicator signals. In another flash, Jason was gone and the signal showed him bright and clear in his condo. Something was definitely up for those three to be out there together and it had to be on the sly because he hadn't been invited to the party. He racked his brain to think what could still be down there besides a bunch of caved in storage rooms. Then an idea hit him. Grinning, he transported himself to the ruins. 

Turning around three hundred and sixty degrees, he got his bearings and searched through the ruins until he found a remnant of Zordon's old Power Tube. After a few more seconds of searching, he found an old door, half covered by debris. To even the most scrutinizing observer, out looking for what he was looking for, the door looked like nothing but a piece of twisted scrap metal, but Tommy knew better. Using the techniques Zordon had shown him over a decade ago, he activated the door of light and was quickly inside. Behind him, the door shut quickly, carefully locking against intruders. No alarms went off, which meant Kim hadn't recalibrated the systems, but he still moved cautiously and silently. The passageway was dark, but there was light coming through the grate from the chamber below. It was then that he heard the voices: Carri, talking to Kim.

"So what are you going to do?" Carri asked. Her voice sounded tired. Tommy couldn't see much of either of them, Kim was holding something, walking back and forth below the grate.

"Not much I can do is there?" She said a little testily.

"You gonna tell Tommy?" Carri asked and then shifted, giving Tommy a better view of them.

"I haven't decided." She said softly. This caught Tommy's interest. Hadn't they just agreed to keep each other in their confidences? And yet here she was, out in the middle of nowhere, confiding in Carri. This angered him a bit, he'd gone out of his way to include her in almost everything he was doing.

"I've been ordered not to…and besides I'm not sure how he'd react." Kim said and his attention was again drawn to her pacing. "I mean, what would you do?"

"Me?" Carri asked, a little taken back. "Not likely their gonna order me to breed sweetheart." She said drolly. "Netau even said to my face that he's glad I don't exist in every dimension." The two girls giggled a little and Tommy sat back on his haunches; stunned.

"Come on, Kim…this is Tommy we're talking about. He's already told you he wants kids…and he's gonna find out, he always finds out…better to tell him hon, even if it gets you in trouble."

"Yes, but how's he going to react when I tell him I've been _ordered_ to do it…immediately. My god Carri, the very wording of it…_You are hereby commanded to breed and produce living offspring within the course of one established and delineated standard time period_….what am I, a god damn cow?" She asked and Carri chuckled. Tommy suppressed a grin, so that's what had been bothering her. Last night, before they'd finally gone to sleep, she'd started to tell him about something, then had dismissed it as nothing important.

He knelt forward a little and watched the two as he considered what she'd just said. Truth was, it didn't bother him all that much at all. He'd been wondering how to win her over on the idea and had allotted a good twelve months to the task. It appeared he didn't even have to try. He actually thought it was kind of funny, but he knew better than to let her know that. He jumped as he heard someone begin keying the sequences to enter. For the first time since taking back his Zeo powers, he used the innate bonding of his Dino gem to invisibly blend with the passageway. He stood and, pressing himself against the corridor wall, watched as the new comer entered. He was half expecting Jason to return, but was stunned to see his double pass through the light barrier and land safely along the passageway as he had.

The man paused a moment to smooth down his bound long hair, straighten his vest, and dust off his long white sleeves. With a shock of recognition, Tommy realized he was staring at his clone. The clone Zordon had been sent back into Earth's past. Startled to his core, he nearly gave himself away and, as Tom passed him, he turned slightly, as if aware something was amiss.

Tommy waited until the clone had made his entrance before stepping back to the grate. Obviously, the girls were expecting him. Kim gave a little excited squeal and hugged him backing up just enough to show him the mounds of blankets she was carrying. As the clone peeked inside the bundle, his heavily accented and formal greeting style dropped and his words sounded more like modern day English.

"A little blondie." He crooned in wonder as Kim handed the bundle over to him. "And so tiny. Another girl then?"

"No." Kim said, reaching up and caressing the baby's head. "Another boy, but he's premature, that's why I told you to come early."

"He'll be alright though?" The clone asked, eyes meeting hers with concern.

"He'll be just fine Tom. He cried good and loud when he was born and the medical computer says he's healthy. I couldn't' fully immunize him though, but I'll send what you need with you."

"Alright, to borrow Jase's phrase, I'm outta here." Carri said, stretching. "When you have time," She said, getting Kim's attention, "I really need to talk to you about…" She raised her fist up and rotated it a bit in some kind of silent signal. Kim nodded as if she understood perfectly.

"What time do you land?" She asked.

"Around six thirty Sunday morning." Carri answered with a roll of her eyes. "Gonna be a long day."

"Well go back and get some sleep. Hopefully Rocky will feel better tomorrow."

Carri rolled her eyes and on the way out reached up and kissed the clone on the cheek. Giving the small baby an undeterminable look, she took a small crystal out of her pajama pocket and left through the doorway. A few minutes later, she passed unknowingly by Tommy and left through the outside door.

"Emmaline will be very happy to have another blonde in the family, even if he's not the sister she wants." Tom said, sitting down in the chair Carri had vacated and exposing the infant under the blankets. "She's beginning to question if she wasn't a foundling" He chuckled. "Of course her brothers have seriously pestered her about the idea that she was found out beyond the outhouse; scamps every last one of them."

"They have the same mother." Kim said quietly, rubbing her eyes. To Tommy, it looked as if she'd fall over from exhaustion any moment and he wondered again what she'd been up to. "There's no reason to think they won't look like one another. Emmie has a lot of Kat in her, more so than Tommy I think." She said. That caught Tommy's attention, he knelt down closer to the grate to both see and hear better.

"So what's this one's story." Tom asked, absently counting fingers and toes on the sleeping baby, before kissing each in turn. Kim smiled at him sadly and Tommy wondered what she was thinking.

"Same as the others." Kim said. "I hate working on blue lines. Thomas knows that, but he sends me anyway so he doesn't have to do it. The resident Tommy was already dead and Kat was mortally wounded. She fought until the end though. As we were getting ready to leave she went into premature labor. I shouldn't have stayed, but the other child was already dead and she begged me to wait and take this one. She died minutes before he was born, I had to yank him out…it was unbearably sad."

"You saved him though." Tom said. "It a good thing you're doing Kimmie." He said softly, wrapping the baby back up in its blankets.

"It's a dangerous thing I'm doing. Netau is already suspicious, but you're not under his authority, so he can't investigate…or at the very least he can't openly report on what he finds if he does; unless it's through the guardian in charge and he knows she won't do anything about it."

"I thought you were in charge of my timeline." Tom said, raising the baby to his shoulder.

"Not technically, I'm actually only in charge of you and your family, but the guardian in charge of the timeline is a friend. I think she's slightly in love with Thomas, poor thing. She likes me and lets me do what I need."

"Well, Bessie and I certainly aren't complaining. I should go though, no reason to tempt fate. Will you come visit soon?"

Kim nodded and stood. Turning, she opened a little panel and removed a small, but heavy, leather sack. "You'll need this." She said, holding out the pouch. Tom took and opened it before immediately handing it back.

"Thank you Kim, but we're fine. You've done enough just bringing the little ones to us."

"I insist Tom, you're going to need it." She said and Tom gave her an odd look.

"Can I assume, since it's Spanish gold you hand me, that our little English settlement's not going to fair well in its current struggle?"

"One rouge English outpost on Spanish soil will never fair well, especially when the king calls his army back to the colonies to fight the war brewing there." Kim said softly, but Tommy could see the look on her face. She was worried and was trying to prepare Tom for something without directly saying what. "Be careful and do what you have to do to protect Bessie and the children."

Tom stood up and Tommy couldn't see the look on his face, but his shoulders and stance were tight and determined. He reached out and hugged Kim, giving her a kiss on the forehead. She smiled up at him and then kissed the baby.

"Take care Tom. My best to Bessie and the children."

"You too lass." He said, his odd, old fashioned accent returning as he turned and walked through the doorway.

Tommy waited only a few seconds after the clone had passed him on the way out before he made his way down to the door which would allow him access to the chamber below. He made a fair amount of noise before becoming visible again and walking through. Kim turned, surprised, obviously thinking he was Tom returning. She froze and stared at him, a frown deepening in her brow.

"I haven't been gone ten minutes." She finally said in a disgusted tone. "It's been twelve at the most since I slipped out. I timed everything, there was no way you could've woken up naturally and figured out where I was. Did you follow me?"

"Had a nightmare." He said plainly. "You want to tell me what's going on or do you want me to start speculating?"

"Depends…" she said, reopening the concealed cabinet she'd just slammed shut. "How long have you been eavesdropping?"

"I came in when Jason left." He said and she swore, her shoulders slumping a little.

"And you didn't think it would have been appropriate to let yourself be seen?" She asked waspishly, spinning around to face him; but he only shrugged.

"Depends on why you didn't tell me you were coming out here or why you didn't tell me you'd re-vamped this place."

"I didn't know you knew about it."

"The white Ranger was created in this room." He said simply. "I didn't know Zordon had told anyone else it existed."

"I've known about it since we fell back through time to fight Ivan." She said. "I searched it out as a way to have a quiet place where Netau and his cronies couldn't watch my every move."

She pulled what looked like a large wooden drawer from inside the cabinet and placed it on the white countertop. Inside were various glass layers containing gold circles, which she removed and spread out in order. Without ever seeming to gesture or say a word, a red force field enclosed the room. He was startled by it, but didn't show any physical signs except for a curious glance around the room.

"So what do you want to know?" she asked absently, indicating he take the only other chair in the room.

"For starters, what you're doing out here."

"I got a call from the Phantom and Solar Force Rangers to meet me out here. Before I could finish and get back home Thomas called me for a mission. Sometimes it's necessary to travel to a blue line world and remove certain objects that shouldn't fall into the wrong hands."

"And for that you needed Jason and Carri?" He asked and she nodded in response. "And how long has Carri worked for the DG?"

"She doesn't." Kim said, focus still on the glass trays. "She has a way of getting herself mixed up in things. She's good at what she does and occasionally I need to bring her with me."

"And she's good at…" He asked leadingly.

"She's good at looking at a chaotic situation and knowing the best way to get in and out with as little damage as possible. Plus we were in a situation where we were dealing with an alternate Katherine…sometimes when that happens I'm not the best person to lead things."

"And the baby?" He asked, giving her an odd look. She raised her head and looked directly at him.

"Is best forgotten about." She said firmly. "I keep no written records; it's too dangerous. Transplantation from one dimension to another is older than the DG itself. I do what I have to do to keep the timelines stable."

"It had nothing to do with the fact that it was Kat's?"

"Partly." She admitted.

"Was it mine too?"

"It was an alternate Tommy's." She said firmly. "If you're going to deal cross dimensionally, you need to understand that there's a difference. They all develop differently, no one is identical. Events like traumas and joys, the external influence of others, the lack of influence of others, they all change the personality; the development of the internal character. Better to think of them as close relatives rather than one and the same."

"That sounds like something Thomas would say. " He said and she shrugged.

"That's what Zordon told me." She said firmly. "Next question?"

"How long have you been working with the clone?"

"Time is relative." She answered and at the hard look in his eyes she added quickly, "I'm not trying to be evasive. Time isn't linear. According to my calendar I was re-introduced to him four years ago, but that doesn't include the time I've spent in the past with him and his wife nor does it count the time we've spent together cross dimensionally. He's inherited the Green Wizard's powers and with that the Green Wizard's responsibilities to the continuum. The only difference is that the Green Wizard technically worked for the other side. It was a huge coup for us when Tom turned and used that power to help us. It's all in the other data tube. I don't know how much you've read and how much you haven't."

"And you're conversation with Carri before Tom walked in?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. "Have you decided you can confide that in me?" He didn't mean it to be snide, but even to his own ears it sounded that way. He was a bit angry about that. Not at the order itself, but the fact that she wasn't sure she wanted to tell him. She gave him a patient look and sighed deeply.

"It's not a matter of confiding it, I haven't come to terms with it myself yet." She said slowly. "I've got issues with the DG, you already know that. I don't like being told ahead of time to do something life changing immediately or they're going to interfere again."

"I can understand that." He said, "What I don't understand is why you'd hesitate to confide in me."

"It's not that." She said. "There's a lot you're not supposed to know about; things even Zordon kept from you. You already know too much because you read my diaries. This is a minor issue in the scheme of things, but it's majorly important to us because we're directly involved. I confided in Carri because she and Jason both have the same issues with being controlled that I do."

"So why the order?" He asked, unwilling for the moment to give up his anger. She hesitated, fiddling with the glass trays for a moment; slowly nudging them until they were even with each other.

"I wasn't supposed to live." She said softly.

"What?"

"I wasn't supposed to live. Netau manipulated things and arranged for my death…again. He felt it was the only way to turn our dimension from an orange line, where it's been since the Z Wave, to a green or blue. He had permission and everything proceeded as planned, but then Thomas interfered by giving the Mystic Mother the information she needed to give to you and you actually sought out her help and that changed things."

"And that means…what? What's the status of our dimension now?" he asked, not sure he understood what she was trying to tell him.

"We green lined. That's something no one expected." She said honestly.

"This Netau didn't see that you're survival instead of your demise would green line us?"

"No. We weren't heading in that direction. Our dimension's different; which is how I can get away with transplanting the children. No other Kimberlys survived Muirantias…well, none that I know of anyway. Just Kemora and I, we balance each other so to speak. I'm sure there are more we haven't encountered yet, but no one knows for sure…the higher powers that be won't talk to us about it. My survival seriously changed things on our world and that change reverberates across the dimension."

"So you lived and we green lined and that translates into you having kids?"

"Sort of. I lived and we came together again. That's a huge repercussion…we weren't showing any signs of coming together again. There was a huge debate as to what to do because Thomas definitely interfered, even if the catalyst was your decision to trust Rita and ask her for help; there was no guarantee you would, Thomas just hoped. When he saw how upset you were that I'd been taken, he thought he'd give it a try and see if you'd be able to forgive both Rita and me. That was a huge if, but how he justified his interference. You had to choose to save me, which nobody thought you would. Netau was extremely angry he interfered. The powers representing good gained a huge victory and the powers of evil cried foul. It didn't happen naturally, so no one knows what the outcome might have been. In the end it was decided to keep things as they are, but that left the question of whether an artificially created green world will stay that way. In the other green lined worlds where the Kimberly and Tommy remain together, they have their children at a far younger age than we are now. What's going to happen a generation from now if we don't have children relatively the same age…will things reverse? Will there be repercussions? Can it be afforded to allow me, with my altered genetics to have offspring like me? Should they interfere and transplant genetic material from an un-altered Kimberly? They couldn't come to a decision. In the end, they gave me a few months to see what happens naturally and if that doesn't happen, then obviously they need to interfere and get it done for me." She stopped and looked at him, her frustration and defeat clear in her face.

"Well," he said, leaning forward in his seat and looking at her wryly, "Maybe that explains why I've been having the same nightmare every night."

"What do you mean?" She asked, frowning.

"The nightmare. It's always the same and I've had it every night since we went back to Muirantias to save you. I didn't seek out Rita's help and you died. Maybe what I'm supposed to get out of it is that the timeline changed."

"Maybe." She said, considering his words. "Anything else in those dreams?"

"Tonight I relived that little scene outside the Megaship bunker."

"The what?" She asked.

"The time when I was packing up things to permanently move to Reefside…when I basically told you to leave me alone and I didn't want to see you again."

"Oh." She said chewing her lip and playing with the gold disks inside the glass shelves.

"And then I saw something new." He added, "I think it was a future thread, but I was so panicked I'm not sure what I actually saw. She raised her eyes and eyebrows and looked at him in surprise. Future threads were rare, especially clear ones.

"What did you see?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." He said. "I haven't sorted it out. There was a huge storm, and the Megaship bunker was destroyed. There were several Ranger teams walking out of the wreckage, but none of them seemed to know it was there."

"Anything else?" She asked when he paused.

"I saw you." He said. "At first it was just you with red eyes, then beside you appeared another version without red eyes, and then beside her appeared a younger version, like the way you looked as a teenager. I think it was a metaphor, but I haven't figured out what it means yet."

"I'm not good at interpreting metaphors." She said. "It could mean anything."

"I also saw a tower."

"What?" She asked, a little louder than she wanted to.

"A black tower. At least I think it was black. It was dark and the tower was only illuminated by the lightening." He said calmly, watching her reaction. Her face clearly showed she understood at least that part of the thread.

"Are you sure you weren't still dreaming?" She asked, her face clearly concerned.

"It was definitely a thread. They don't happen that often, I can usually tell the difference." He said calmly. "You've seen them before." He added. It was a statement, not a question.

"Once, on a blue world." She said softly. Actually, she had just seen them on the blue world she'd just returned from. It was a dimension that had paralleled theirs pretty closely. That Tommy was of her dimension and saw them wasn't a good sign at all. "Maybe it was an alternate dimension you saw…or maybe where the world was headed if you hadn't gone to seek Rita's help."

"And if it's not, if that's our future?"

"Then we don't have to worry about having children." She said quietly.

* * *

Karone stretched as she made her way to the synthetrons in the main section of level eight. It was too early to inform Kim of the progress on the moon. She was tired and hungry and more than ready to crawl into her little bunk and sleep for a few hours. Taking her food from the machine, she turned and stopped dead in her tracks. 

"I was wondering when you'd notice I was here." Zane said casually, a lopsided grin on one side of his face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She snapped.

"Visiting your brother, he's got this crazy idea about going back to KO-35."

"And you told him what a great idea that was, right?" She asked snidely.

"Actually, I think I talked him out of it."

"And why would you do that?" She asked and Zane shrugged and kicked a chair out with his foot.

"Sit down." He said.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you're food's getting cold."

Karone gave him an icy look and purposely sat at the table behind him. He rolled his eyes and, making a huge show of getting up, dropped dramatically into the chair next to her.

"I want to be alone." She snarled.

"No you don't, you just don't want to have to talk to me."

"Your wife made it very clear to you that you're not to talk to me." She said, anger rising at the amused look on his face.

"Don't have a wife anymore." He said casually. Startled, she looked up and met his eyes, immediately she wishing she hadn't. He was glad to see her, that was obvious and there was such a longing in them that her heart betrayed her and skipped a beat.

"What are you talking about?" She asked, genuinely confused. "Aren't you on your fourth kid or something?"

"Moirana was just as happy to see that contract end as I was."

"And those kids? What are they supposed to do?"

"She's signed up with a second husband; someone who's actually the fatherly type. They're fine. Not like I was around much anyway, what with working on KO-35 with the Astros."

She gave him a cold look and he shrugged. "Don't get me wrong. I love them." He explained. "It surprises me how much I love them really. It's just better she move on. I'll still see them. Hell, I'll probably see them more now than I did before."

She continued to give him the hard look, then shrugged and began to eat her dinner without commenting, ignoring the fact he was staring at her.

"So how do you like working at NASADA?" He asked and she shrugged. Neither knowing what else to say, a thick silence settled between them. "Kind of thinking maybe I'll take a job here too." He said casually, taking a sip of his drink. She slammed her fork down on her plate and gave him a look that would frighten any other man. She looked so deadly and so much like Astronima in that moment that he nearly laughed. "Your brother said Tommy's looking for a few good Rangers to help build this city project of his." He continued, ignoring the daggers being shot his way by her eyes. "I think I might just be one of the retired Rangers he's looking for."

Karone stood and ceremoniously dumped her entire tray in the recycling bin. Without a word, she turned and strode out of the eating area.

"Face it.' He called over his shoulder, eyes purposely looking straight ahead and away from her. "You still love me don't you?"

Karone paused, but didn't look back at him. A second later she continued on as if she'd never stopped and as she turned the corner she heard him laugh.

* * *

Tommy sighed heavily as a silence descended between them. They had talked things through to adnauseam, but at least they both had a better grip on things. Neither of them was sure what his dreams meant, whether they were for a past and a future that hadn't happened or one they were possibly headed for, but both had agreed that all they could do was prepare for both outcomes. The black towers were apparently a specialty of Teeg's. There presence could doom a world in a matter of days and they both agreed they needed to take as many precautions against the villain's next return as they could. 

That conversation had been mild compared to the one regarding their future together and their future children. He listened to her concerns and frustrations and he'd been able to re-assure her a little that he honestly did understand. Things were moving a little fast for him too. He'd been thinking he'd give himself a year before he started badgering her about a family and then allotted another twelve months before she actually caved in. This fast tract sat uneasily with him too, but he was more ready for it than she seemed to be.

What he was not ready for was his wife running out on dangerous missions while pregnant and after his kid was born. That had sparked a outright heated argument between them. He didn't care that the grid apparently took care of unborn children for the mother while morphed, it was out of the question in his book. She, however, didn't see things that way and had no intentions of stepping down. Besides, she argued, the DG wasn't about to give her time off to have a baby and Teeg certainly wouldn't sit around and wait for her to gestate. The debate had no clear resolution and after circling around and around with it, a small truce in the form of a long silence had settled between them.

He had no idea how long they'd been in the small room. Time was slower on the outside world than inside the room. It was an anomaly he'd never quite understood, but apparently one Kim took advantage of quite a lot.

"You gonna tell me what's up with those trays?" Tommy asked, bringing his chair around next to her. She nodded and scooted over to make room for him, smiling a little as he wrapped one arm around her and kissed her shoulder in a kind of peace offering. "These the coins you were telling me about?" He asked and again she nodded.

"I've been able to make at least two dozen copies; unfortunately none of them are stable." She said with a heavy sigh. "The user will get one, maybe two limited morphs at best. It seems I can charge…but I can't create."

"You'll get there." He said encouragingly. "How long did it take Zordon?"

"Zordon never created power coins." She said absently, picking up a specimen and studying the markings on it. It was a panther. She'd created it first simply to amuse Carri.

"What do you mean?" He asked, frowning.

"A being named Ninjor created the original power coins from one of the six golden cosmic keys Zordon used to seal away the Demon King."

"What about the White Ranger?"

"That coin's been around for a while…not one of the originals though. Zordon just kind of re-vamped and upgraded it for you."

"So who's Ninjor?"

"Dulcea's master…also master to Animus. I don't know if Zordon studied under him or not. I think they were just friends, although Ninjor's much older. He's the one who first successfully transitioned the Ranger powers from the non-humanoid races to the humanoid races about twelve or thirteen thousand years ago and the one Zordon turned to when he needed help with the Power Coins. He's also the acknowledged creator of the Ninjetti, not Dulcea. She just guards the Temple of Power on Phaedos; like Zordon, she never created coins."

"You've met him?" He asked, and she nodded absently. "Nice guy?"

"Little twerp actually."

"Excuse me?"

Kim looked up, a bit surprised, as if she hadn't realized she'd said that aloud. "Uhm, he's a great and powerful being who Zordon and many other great masters will always look to and venerate for all eternity." She said solemnly, then quickly readjusted her focus back to the coins in front of her. "He also totally reminds me of that Martian guy on Bugs Bunny." Tommy chuckled, but she didn't look at him. "This is what I need to go back and speak to him about though.' She said, packing away the tray of copied coins and bringing out a sealed glass panel.

"Those the originals." He asked, hand reaching out to touch the glass encasement. Inside were the Tyrannosaurus, Pterodactyl, and Triceratops coins.

"Yeah, these are supposedly the originals." She said softly and he looked at her curiously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"This." She said, bringing out a thin, metal box. "This is the box the Phantom and Solar Force Rangers just brought back. The original reason I slipped out here was because I got a message to meet them here as soon as possible. The assignment from the DG came just as I was packing up." She opened the case to show the Mastodon and Sabertooth Tiger Coins. "They're very proud of themselves actually; as they should be."

"Then Teeg doesn't have the Sabertooth coin?" He asked excitedly. This was great news, that meant Teeg didn't have the three Rangers she needed to form a complete team.

"Oh no, she's definitely got one." Kim said, adding the coins to the tray of originals. She opened the seamless glass encasement effortlessly, as if it had always had an opening, and slid the coins into two empty holes.

"I don't understand." Tommy said, sitting forward in his chair.

"I'm not sure I do either." Kim said absently. "Look at this," she said, waving her hand over the coins. Immediately a tower of multicolored lights shot up like from each of them. "These are DNA signatures, you can clearly see Jason's and mine and Billy's, but neither of these have human DNA signatures, they've never been used before…at least by humans."

"So what does that mean? They're fakes?"

"Oh no, they're originals…at least as original as ours were." She said. She waved her hand and the multi-colored towers changed and he could see a harmonic pattern develop between the five coins. "Look, the power cores are exactly the same."

"You mean they're the same, but copies… in the same way as Adam, Rocky, and Aisha's are copies right?" He asked hopefully. She shook her head and his heart sank.

"No." She said, pulling out another small sheet of coins. "Look, here's Rocky and Aisha's coins, the harmonic resonance is just minutely different because they were charged from our coins and not from the key. Their coins were also definitely only used on Earth. Our old coins have marginal traces of use both on Eltar and of the various humans who used them here on Earth once Zordon migrated. Rocky and Aisha were the only ones to use their coins…well, Jason used Rocky's but I'm not counting that."

"So what does that mean? That there are other coins out there that can open the Demon King's Gate?" he asked, heart pounding. That could be a disaster if it proved true.

"No, I don't think so." She said absently. "But I can't prove it and the Mystic Mother doesn't know either."

"Then are we safe or are we in trouble?" He asked seriously.

"I need to talk with Ninjor to be sure, but I think," She said, pushing back from the table and looking up at him, "I think it means that Zordon never had the original coins with him here on Earth. I think they've all been copies of the originals that Ninjor made from the golden key…if the originals even ever existed."

"So that means…"

"That means Zordon was a lot more careful than I've previously given him credit for. I always wondered why he would take the risk to transform the key and then actually use the coins openly. It never made much sense and Ninjor was very evasive. Zordon sent me off on a quest to find the original set of coins just as Teeg broke free and began her own search. I think he either wanted or knew that Teeg would latch onto me and track them down."

"Thereby leading her on a wild goose chase." Tommy finished and she nodded.

"He was buying time…" She said, thinking out loud. "The question is why and what for." She said with frustration, gaze returning back to the coins.

"Do you think we'll ever find out?" He asked, cocking his head to one side and tightening his arm around her. It had to be incredibly frustrating for her to learn the mission she'd been working on for nearly a decade was nothing more than an elaborate rouse.

"I have to." Kim said. "But the answers aren't here on Earth."

"So what's next?"

She turned again and looked him directly in the eyes. "Now we find Zordon."

* * *

It was pouring the rain when Carri transported back into her tiny bedroom in New York. She opened her hand and watched as the transport crystal Kim had given her turned into a fine red dust. Glancing briefly at Rocky to see if he'd stirred any, she walked over to the dresser and opened the lid of a small shell box. Inside she deposited the powder, noticing as she did so that the box was almost half full. 

She padded silently out to the small bathroom, showered, put on a new set of pajamas, and tossed her soiled and ripped ones in the trash. Toweling her hair, she walked quietly back to the living room and sat down on the sofa, watching the rain pour down across the large picture window. At times it was as if a fire hose poured against it, blurring the lights beyond and seriously dampening her already disconsolate mood.

Blue worlds always made her feel dejected, but this one had gotten to her like none of the others had. It had been remarkably similar to her own world and she could easily identify with the alternates. The resident Tommy was already dead, so she hadn't seen him, but the resident Kat and Rocky had been there nearly their entire visit. They had tried to recruit them to their cause, their alternates always tried to do that, and when their pleas failed they had turned their backs on them like they were the enemy. It had hit her very hard this time. She was deeply in love with her Rocky and it was hard to see and hear an alternate who looked so much like her boyfriend try to beg and reason with her to help them.

The alternate Rocky's death had also hit way too close to home for her. She didn't know how Kim did it. How you turned a blind eye to something like that, Carri didn't know and desperately wanted to learn. The alternate's dead face haunted her. It was so like her Rocky's and it had held such a surprised look, as if death had caught him completely off guard. Carri shook herself physically, she was being morbid. Her Rocky was fine, if a little drunk, and was safe and sound in her bedroom.

Silently, she stood, leaving the towel behind on the couch and walked to the bedroom. Rocky was still spread eagle on the bed and snoring loudly. She grinned and knelt down quietly by the bedside and just starred at his face. Ignoring the strong smell of alcohol on his breath, she reached out and kissed his sweaty cheek. Then, leaning back a little, she traced one eyebrow lightly with her finger and he stirred, reaching up to bat the finger away. Grinning more broadly, she leaned over and kissed the hand, linking her little finger with his. It had become a common gesture of affection with them. On Aquitar she hadn't been able to handle the feel of anything on her skin and many times Rocky had been at a loss as to how to comfort her. Eventually, he began to simply loop his little finger around her's just to let her know he was there. Even in deep sleep, his finger automatically tightened around her's and the act nearly brought tears to her eyes.

"I love you." She said quietly. He had stopped snoring when she kissed him, and she could see his eyes flutter a bit, but he didn't respond. She leaned her forehead against his hand and brushed his fingers lightly against it. "Don't leave me." She whispered, but Rocky didn't even stir.

Standing and wiping a few tears from her eyes, she turned and left the room, padding silently back to the tiny second bedroom. She had to get a better grip on herself, she told herself fiercely. This black mood had to end, and quickly; it wasn't doing her a bit of good. She was safe and sound in her own world and those she loved the most were also safe and sound and living their lives oblivious to the goings on in the rest of the universe.

The black mood, however, wouldn't leave her. She stared at the ceiling of the tiny closet until the rain stopped pounding against the window in the next room and long after the first rays of sunshine began to creep towards her across the living room carpet.

* * *

Kee wasn't sure what drove her to seek out her brother. He'd been cold towards her ever since Kimberly had tapped her as a Ranger, but ever since she'd been united with Garan he'd all but refused to acknowledge her presence on the ship. 

She'd never been particularly close to Kav. She knew full well he'd considered her a leech on his career and had been beyond embarrassed when Elemi had offered to charitably shelter her. Her brother was a brilliant engineer, his efforts on board saving the _Ensway_ on more than one occasion. She wasn't particularly troubled by his attitude towards her, but she was more than a little troubled by the rumors about the gossip he'd been spreading since her recognition by Kim.

Recognized, or adopted, children had far more power and status legally in the Intergalactic community than naturally born children did. Children happened, but recognized children were chosen. It wasn't uncommon for a parent to recognize their blood children when they came of age, adopting them despite their legal blood ties, but it was very unusual for someone of Kim's status to recognize a girl of Kee's standing without a blood bond.

Kee wasn't complaining. The new status was higher than Garan's and had allowed her to be with him in a legal bonding. It had also opened doors to her that would, if she was careful, make her very politically powerful one day. She was very conscious of this new standing and had become obsessed with furthering her education and making her new mother very proud of her, but it appeared her brother had been undermining her.

Garan had told her to leave it be, that once a child had been recognized, the past was wiped away, but Kee was more than a little concerned her blood brother's efforts would embarrass her new family house. True, she had been born a servant, to a servant, but she'd come a long way since then. It was maddening that Kav would spread lies and hatred about her tainted bloodline. There were still plenty throughout the galaxies that held to the theories of the purity of one's blood. By spreading inappropriate stories about their mother and Kee's own early past, he could very well bring embarrassment, if not shame, to Kimberly's line and Kee was not about to let that happen. She was now a descendant of Zordon through Kimberly and the oldest daughter of her generation; honor needed to be upheld.

Garan held to the belief that Kav was jealous. Until Kee's ascension to pink Ranger, Kav had been the only child of their mother's line to actually accomplish something. Although his father had never formally recognized him, he had paid for his education and thus given him a status above their mother's. He was as proud and arrogant of his abilities as he was good at what he did. This gave him a rank and status above all his other blood family; until Kee had become a Ranger. That change in status among his family had been a hard pill to swallow, a pill which became more bitter when Kee was formally recognized; something that he had hoped, but was forced to admit would never happen to him.

Kee paused as she reached the main engineering section, wondering briefly if Garan was right and she should leave things alone. There was no one around in these particular corridors and she felt a little uneasy approaching her brother unaccompanied. Shaking the feeling off as a silly remnant of her old past, she hit the door release and walked into the room that held the ship's main engine core. The inside was dark and gloomy and she realized she'd chosen a timeframe when the main engineering staff would all have taken to their quarters to rest. Wondering if she'd even find her brother down here at such an odd time, she almost turned to go, then heard his voice travel softly through one of the grates.

He was talking to someone, but who, she couldn't see. The room was dark and the grate obscured all but a faint outline.

"I've set the timer for twenty minutes, that's more than enough time to evacuate and steal an escape pod." Kav said, as if he was arguing softly with the other person.

"Twenty minutes is too long, someone could find it and deactivate it before the ship blows." The other male voice said.

"Trust me, no one's gonna break this thing, it's indestructible. The ship is doomed and so is her crew. Besides, we'll need at least a good ten to fifteen minute start to get clear of the explosion she's gonna generate."

"And once we're out? What then? We just can't float in a pod through deep space, they've only got a few days worth of oxygen in them."

"My mistress has arranged for one of her scouting ships to find us. It will rendezvous with her armada where we'll be greatly rewarded for our efforts." Kav said and then laughed harshly. "The Rangers won't ever know what hit them."

Kee's heart pounded so loudly she was sure the two men could hear it. Slowly, she backed out of the room as silently and carefully as she could. Once back out in the main corridor she broke into a full run, nearly toppling a small group of engineers on their way to dinner. She didn't dare hit the main alarm, once it sounded the two would know they'd been discovered and could possibly blow the ship up anyway before anyone could get to them.

She didn't want to use her communicator either. If her brother was a traitor, who was the other man? For all she knew, he could be one of the bridge crew who would be alerted by her call. She bypassed the lift which would take her to the bridge and Garan, instead taking a stairwell that would take her to directly to the officer's quarters. Elemi wouldn't be on the bridge anyway, he'd have retired to have dinner with his mistress.

Ignoring what she knew was a direct order for him not to be disturbed, she raced down the corridor that led to his private quarters and banged on the door. She heard the one man she was the most afraid of roar his protest, but banged again, heart pounding so hard in her chest and her ears that she was certain it would burst before she could get his attention and deliver her message. The door slid open and Elemi burst out of the room, eyes murderous at seeing just who had disturbed him.

"We have a huge problem." She said, voice startlingly strong and composed, even to her own ears. "We don't have much time."


	16. Chapter 16: The Thunder Rolls

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 16: Thunder Rolls

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri, including Jessica, belong to KJ, with many thanks. The scene with Thomas and Kim in an alternate universe is adapted from KJ's Legacy Series, Chapter 5. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and hopefully I've kept true enough to that story. _The Demon King is NOT an Org, I've just drawn a parallel which suggests that the Orgs might have descended from a seriously mutated strain of the Demon King virus; MIGHT have_. Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original…._And I totally made up the Ranger website Rocky's talking about; to my knowledge, it doesn't exist in our dimension._

_**

* * *

**_

_**All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

_Author's Update: 12-08: Two paragraphs changed to mesh with Hartland_

* * *

"The navigation and communications systems are completely down." Pryce said, banging his fist against the grey panel. The Nova's white Ranger was not known for an easy temper on a good day, but now it was flaring. "They weren't taking any chances, we're dead in space and have no way to call for help."

"According to the readings I'm getting from up here." Xemmas said with an irritating calmness, eyes still focused on the flurry of numeric readings scrolling rapidly across his screen. "We can't even get into the core utility access itself. Vivcore boxes are nearly impossible to disarm, even if we had hours to concentrate on it, but I'm fairly certain Kav and Stenton would also set the device to trigger if anyone tries to accesses the panel; I doubt we can even safely reach it."

"Then it's definite?" Garan asked. "Stenton is Kav's accomplice?"

Xemmas turned to him, the hue of his blue skin darkening just a little with emotion. "I'm afraid so." The blue Ranger said with a mixture of frustration and regret. Stenton had been his friend and companion; the betrayal was unfathomable. "The scanners have positively identified him as the second human in the escape pod that just launched."

"If I'd only been a little faster we could have caught them before they escaped." Kee muttered angrily, wanting desperately to stomp her foot, but she held still and pretended to be far calmer than she was.

"If you hadn't notified Elemi when you did we'd be all in serious trouble right now." Aaron, the Nova's black Ranger said calmly. "At least we have time to conduct an orderly evacuation."

"Damn." Jaxan said, digging his fingers into his short hair that was nearly as bright a yellow as his shirt. Next to Kee, he was the youngest member on the team. "Stenton just finished upgrading the weapons systems on the zords…I mean, _just finished_ them a few hours ago; _I was right there_." He said, voice raising up nearly an octave. " We're supposed to run checks on them tomorrow morning."

"Which means we can assume the zords are contaminated or booby trapped as well." Aaron said angrily.

"This is wasting time." Elemi growled. "Send the order for a general evacuation. Xemmas, Jaxan, get down into the zord bays and run diagnostics, I want those zords cleared and out of this ship in less than seven minutes."

"Sir," Garan protested as his friends gave each other slightly panicked looks. "Xem and Jax aren't going to have nearly enough time to scan all the zords as fully as they need to. Stenton and Kav were the best engineers we had on board. Wouldn't it be best if each of the Rangers probes his or her zord individually? We're not experts, but we know our zords. If anything is even minutely wrong, it'll be much faster for us to communicate directly with them."

Elemi nodded his consent sternly and turned to Kee. "I have to oversee the ship's evacuation. You're in charge of my red razor until I can join you."

Kee nodded and took off with the other Rangers. There would be no time for saving personal possessions, but there was one item she couldn't, under any circumstances, leave behind.

"Where are you going?" Garan asked as she veered off towards the officer's quarters. "We have to clear the zords."

"Kimberly's crystal." She said. "I'll catch up."

"No, wait, what crystal?" Garan asked, holding onto her arm.

"Kimberly left me a communications crystal. If there was ever an emergency and I needed to get to her fast, she said to use the crystal. I almost always have it with me, but I took it off because I didn't want my brother to think I …" She paused just slightly and gave him a helpless look. "I didn't want him to think I had expensive jewelry as well as a new position in life. I can contact Kimberly with that crystal; she can send help. Without it we'll all be floating in deep space for days before someone picks up on the emergency signal the pods send out. Even then, we aren't going to know if anyone responding is friendly…and with no weapons…"

"Go get it." Garan said nodding, then surprised her by leaning down and quickly kissing her cheek; stunning her with the public display of affection. As the general evacuation order was given, the alarms in the corridor began blaring loudly. "I love you!" He shouted over the alarm, then turned to race down another hallway.

Kee stood there for a moment, grinning, before the alarms brought her back to the reality of the situation. She turned back around and raced toward her quarters.

By the time she made it back to the zord docking bay time was seriously running out. The others had already discovered that the zords weapons systems had been severely damaged and their navigation control and communications systems wiped clean. When Elemi arrived to announce the crew was in the clear, they had less than three minutes to launch and clear the bay. None were positive that the zords wouldn't simultaneously explode, but no one could wait any longer either.

It took the Novas three tries to manually pull together and form the megazord, but they managed it somehow, collecting the tiny escape pods containing the crew like marbles and shielding them against its armored chest. The _Ensway, _pride and joy of her captain, exploded with a force that stunned all of them, catapulting them far into deep space.

Fortunately, Kee's message to Kimberly had gotten through and all were amazed to see not only her, but an entire armada of rescue ships appear after only a few minutes of drifting. Still in shock, they began the long and arduous process of putting their lives back together again.

* * *

Carri dropped her purse on the little kitchen counter and kicked off her heels. She felt horrible. She hadn't slept a wink all night, which, including the mission Kim had taken her on through time, meant that she'd been awake for almost two days. The business lunch with her dad hadn't helped matters either. She liked eating at La Bernadine, but the lunch had been marred by business technicalities and problems as well as disagreements on casting and, after her father had run off to his tennis match, Josh had taken her out for coffee and then enjoyed informing her, in excruciating detail, of everything that Rocky had said while he was drunk off his ass.

Josh had a tendency to do that. He was very good at getting people relaxed and drunk and then grilling them for details…and his little sister's boyfriends were a particular favorite. She'd sort of known what he was up to last night, but she had also hoped she was wrong. Apparently her brother was still as cautious as ever of her taste in men. Fortunately, he liked Rocky, and so did her dad, but there were a few details exposed last night that Rocky needed to be seriously pounded for. She looked up as her boyfriend in question stumbled out from the bedroom holding his head. He moaned loudly and she grinned despite herself. Then again, he looked to be in enough pain as it was.

"What time is it?" He moaned.

"Almost four thirty." She said dryly.

"You serious?" He said, coming up to her and kissing her temple. "You look nice."

"Business lunch with my dad and Josh. We're casting for _Boutique Style_ and the new season of _Hidden Adventures_."

"Josh actually made it to a business meeting?" He asked incredulously. "God, I barely made it to the head this morning without passing out again."

"Josh drinks a lot more than you do." She said evenly, and, she thought to herself, he does a lot of other mood altering activities that I'm pretty sure you never exposed yourself too before either. She didn't think her brother would slip Rocky anything, but she wasn't positive and that bothered her. Rangers were on call twenty-four-seven, they couldn't afford to do anything they couldn't shake off immediately when they needed to; of course, Josh didn't know that. One look at Rocky's bloodshot eyes and she had less and less faith in her brother's insistence that he'd only gotten him drunk enough to start spilling stuff.

"Jesus, that's obvious." He said, lifting the coffee pot out of its holder and then putting it back when he realized it was nearly empty and stone cold. "Do you uhm…do you by any chance remember what happened last night?"

"What part isn't clear?" She said sardonically.

"Basically almost everything after Josh's arrival is a little fuzzy." He admitted.

"Well…let's think about this a second….hmmm," She said dramatically, putting one finger to the side of her mouth. " At this point, maybe you should consider the idea of memory loss as a blessing." She said with an odd tone to her voice; not quite sarcasm, not quite sticky sweet, but generally fairy pissy.

"That bad huh?" He asked, wincing, then putting his head in his hands with a groan as she simply raised one eyebrow at him.

"Why don't you have a seat and I'll make a little more coffee." She said a little too sweetly, dumping the last remnants of the cold coffee out in the sink and making a new pot. "It's gonna be a long day. Dad's plane arrives to take us home at three AM, so that means we should leave for the airport about one-thirty. No point in going to sleep until we take off."

"So what happened?" He asked cautiously, standing where he was instead of going into the living room and sitting down.

"Which part?" She asked, not exactly shoving the coffee pot back in its holder, but not exactly being gentle either. "The part where you told Josh I'm one damn good Power Ranger or your affair with someone named Jessica?"

* * *

Kim heard the phone ring exactly twice and rolled over as Tommy's voice answered it. _Good,_ she thought. She had no intention what so ever of getting out of bed. She'd bent time too steeply and too many times yesterday and was severely paying the price.

The Nova's were safe, for the moment, but she'd had to race off and bend time once again to save them. Tommy, worried about her fatigue, had gone with her to Edenoi, the closest friendly planet to the Nova's position at the time the _Ensway_ had been sabotaged. She had taken them back in time exactly one week in order to give Dex's ships and rescue crews enough time to assemble and reach the stranded crew. The Nova Rangers had been able to get the zords out and form a megazord, shielding the tiny escape pods from the worst of the explosion, but the sabotaged zords lost power quickly and all were stranded in space when they found them.

She hadn't told Elemi she'd formally married Tommy; although her new husband hadn't wasted any time in officially recording their union in the Intergalactic registry on Edenoi. It was entered and confirmed by a very happy Alpha Five who assured them over and over again that Zordon would have been overjoyed to witness their union.

Kimberly had insisted they all keep the news quite out of respect for her ex-husband and his crew. She had quietly informed Kee, but told the girl to keep the news to herself for a while. It had been too hard on Elemi to lose his ship due to the betrayal of his own crew and for once her husband listened and agreed with her without arguing. They'd stayed just over two weeks, one to assemble a rescue mission and reach the _Ensway's_ crew and one until Elemi had procured another ship and begun the hard work of adapting it to their needs, but bending time so narrowly on the return trip twice in a row had taken its toll on her.

She'd gotten them back to Angel Grove just after three-thirty in the morning; barely fifteen minutes after they left. She hadn't taken any chances and had played by the rules, but the dizzy, slightly nauseating feeling of jetlag indicated her circadian rhythm was out of whack anyway. She wasn't an expert, by any means, of chronobiology, but she knew she was abusing the basic principles when her biological rhythm refused to instantly readjust to her home time zone. Her stomach lurched and she rolled over into a fetal position, head pressed firmly into the pillow. The room was still dark and she groaned, wondering who the hell would call them when it was still dark outside anyway.

With a feeling somewhere between resignation and annoyance, she heard Tommy's bare feet walk across the bedroom carpet and felt him sit down on her side of the bed. "Good morning Beautiful." He said softly, voice slightly amused. She growled and pressed her face more firmly in the pillow, ignoring his chuckle of amusement. "Were you supposed to meet your mother this afternoon?"

"Not until noon." She moaned, face still in obscured.

"Sweetheart, it's one-thirty." He replied.

"What?" Kim asked, sitting straight up and immediately regretting it as her stomach lurched. Rubbing her eyes, she stole a look at the curtains she'd recently covered the bedroom window with. They were drawn closed, shutting out most of the light, but she could clearly see the bright outline of the afternoon sun beyond. "Oh crap." She said, pulling her snarled hair off her face. "Is she pissed?"

Tommy grinned and simply showed her the phone. Her shoulders slumped as she took it from him and he chuckled slightly, climbing over her and laying down on his side of the bed.

"I am so sorry." She said into the waiting receiver. "I was up really late last night."

Tommy humphed in amusement as she answered her mom, only half listening to the one-way conversation. He was tired too. He vaguely remembered she was going out with her mom today but he'd had no intentions of waking her up earlier. She'd been so soundly asleep, hardly moving at all, and he honestly didn't want to touch her until she'd slept herself out.

He was worried about her. He loved her dearly, but she sacred him. He didn't know all that much about how she timed things through the portals she generated, but he did know there were basic rules of how close she was supposed to cut her returns and he knew first hand that she ignored those rules; often cutting the time arc way too close or timing two or three missions into the space allotted for just one.

That was exactly what she'd done early that morning. She'd left him about one thirty in the morning for a mission with the dimensional guardians, then just after two in the morning, they'd been called back through time to the late nineteenth century. They'd been gone over six months, but Kim had returned them to the present in less than six minutes. When he'd questioned her, she'd simply shrugged, saying that the time values, arcs, and standard calculations were for beginners and idiots; of which she was neither. As soon as she'd said it, she took it back and abruptly warned him not to try it himself or to encourage others to do it, but she hadn't been the slightest bit contrite about it. They had barely gotten back to sleep when she'd received the call for help from the Nova's and, once again, she'd returned them home in less than a few minutes.

A daredevil Tommy might be, but he was no fool. He knew what very few beings did; that Kim was unique. Her powers of teleportation hadn't started with Muirantias, but with the acceptance of her first power coin; which was probably why Jason couldn't also do what she did. Strange abilities were known develop in those with predispositions to certain traits upon the acceptance of a morpher, he himself was living proof of that, but it made him wonder all the more if their first group had all been chosen as randomly as Zordon said they were.

Zordon had eased over the one documented adventure she'd had while he was the white Ranger, claiming it was a time anomaly that had taken her back in time to an eighteen-seventies Angel Grove. At the time, he'd been painfully young and hadn't known much about the oddities and variances of the universe. It made sense to him and he accepted Zordon's word on it. He now knew it was Kim's developing latent ability and not a random event that had opened that portal. It made sense in retrospect. He'd always wondered how random time events could be so exceedingly rare and yet happen all the time around Kimberly. How many other time adventures she was responsible for, he didn't know, but he did know it had been part of her for a much longer time than she admitted.

He rolled over, leaning his head against the edge of her pillow, and reached out to her. She was sitting up, one arm out for balance while she talked to her mother and, with a wicked grin, he scooted closer and threw his leg over hers possessively, playing mischievously with her pajama top and caressing her ankles with his foot He half listened as she answered her mother's questions, grinning and half amused simply from her half of the conversation.

"No I understand…" She was saying into the phone while making faces at him to quit what he was doing. She tried to move her leg, but he trapped it by wrapping it around his own and she gave up the struggle after a few seconds with a roll of her eyes. On the other end he heard her mother's muted voice rambling on and on.

"Yes, the wedding was beautiful…" She answered, struggling a little to keep her voice calm as he mischievously tried to reach his hand under the back of her pajama top.

"Yes, Aisha and Zack both flew in…yes Jason was there…no he didn't bring a date…" She said, slapping his hand as it reached around where it shouldn't and giving him a stern look.

"Yeah Carri was there too…" She said, stifling a squeal as his hand, banned from under her shirt found other areas to explore while his leg wrapped more tightly around her, keeping her firmly pinned in place.

"Of course she came with Rocky…no, I told you, Jason's fine with it, they're all friends…" Kim put her hand over the receiver as Tommy's hands began to probe a little less playfully in areas that seriously made her squirm and she hissed at him to cut it out.

"Ok…" she said, turning her attention back to her mother and trying in vain to scoot away from him. He sat up and firmly wrapped his arms around her from behind, leaning over to kiss her shoulder, back, and arm seductively.

"Sure…no that's totally fine, go see the house with Andre…no I'm sure, I still have to shower and get dressed…. Yes that's fine," She said, grunting a bit as she managed to successfully bat his hands away from her with a slap that actually stung him. He shook his hand in a mock imitation of pain, pouting a little, and she shot him a harsh, un-repentive look. He chuckled and laid down on his side of the bed, idly reaching out one index finger to tickle her rib.

"So we can just meet at the photographer's at three and then have a late lunch or something…. love you too…bye."

Kim hit the end call button and fell back onto her pillows with a loud moan of frustration, causing the small bed to rock a little. She slammed the phone onto her night stand and rolled over, using the momentum to slap her husband firmly across the arm and chest. "That was my _mother_ on the other end of that phone." She chastised, then snuggled into him. He wrapped his arms around her and chuckled softly again.

"She mad at you?" He asked, hands wandering more seriously now that she was off the phone. According to the calendar, they had been married just over twenty-four hours, but thanks to their little excursions, she'd been his wife for nearly seven months. It was mind boggling when you really thought about it. The newness of it hadn't, by any means, worn off yet, but the idea of it was far more easy for his mind to process. She was his wife. She was his and no one was going to take her away.

"No, she's amused. She told me Thursday when we arranged to go out that I'd probably oversleep…what with the wedding and reception yesterday. I never sleep much anymore." She said, rolling away from him to stretch and yawn. "I'm always really good about time…I just overdid it yesterday."

"Probably." Tommy said, an amused look on his face and taking full advantage of the stretch with his eyes. "Does your appointment with the photographer mean you plan on keeping the May date?" He asked cautiously, hands pausing for a second while he waited for her answer. Kim groaned loudly and rubbed her face, trying to shake off the last of the jetlag feeling.

"Yeah, why not." She said after a slight pause, smiling at the grin on his face. "My mom's going to town on this thing and we'd just loose all our deposits. Besides Carri's all pissed…I know Aisha'd be if she knew. Hell, Jason's pissed as well, but for other reasons...why not. I guess it was a stupid idea to try and elope quietly."

"No, not stupid." He said scooting closer and kissing the top of her head. "You were worried about it and you've got enough to worry about."

"I was scared it was going to be a huge, life changing event." She admitted, rolling into him and intertwining her fingers with his. "I've had too many life changing events hit me recently. They always tend to land like a ton of bricks on my head."

"You don't think getting married was life changing?" He asked.

"I don't feel one bit different." She admitted. "Kind of anti-climactic actually."

"Hey." He said in mock offense and she squeezed his hand.

"I meant I thought I would have this huge epiphany and realize I was bound to another person forever…lose my identity…be Mrs. Oliver instead of Kimberly… but I don't feel one bit different. I feel exactly the same…not one ounce more grown up than I thought I would."

"I don't know that you ever feel grown up." Tommy said, eyes twinkling as he laid his cheek against side of her head. "You just kinda realize it in stages…mostly when you see the next generation pulling the same shit you did. You want to tell them to grow up, then you realize that's the adult in you talking."

Kimberly disengaged from him and sat up. "You are and always have been the most grown up person I know." She said seriously and he laughed outright. "I'm serious," She insisted. "I don't think you were ever really a little kid. You always had everything all planed out ever since I've known you."

"No. I'm not grown up at all." He said, still chuckling. "Planning things out and actually being and being grown up are very different things. I over plan things 'cause I'm scared I'm gonna screw up. I plan too much really." He said, thinking back across his life. "I need to chill a little more."

Kim grinned at him wistfully. It was kind of nice to know he didn't see himself the way others did; that he had some of the same insecurities she did. She leaned down and kissed his forehead quickly. "I need to shower and get ready." She said, starting to slide off the bed, but he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back down and pinning her under him.

"Not just yet Mrs. Oliver." He murmured, kissing her neck in a way that very obviously exposed his intentions.

"I'm gonna be late again." She said, half protesting.

"Beautiful." He said, kissing her suggestively down to her shoulder and sliding his hands down to pull at the buttons of her pajama shirt. "One thing I know very well…time is not an problem for you."

* * *

As the blue orb of Earth slide into view on the screen in front of her, Teeg felt her heart jump and beat a little faster. To either side of her were Rexo and Kemora, standing at attention, but ignoring both Teeg and each other.

It was almost time, she thought excitedly. She loved the hunt, loved it even better when the prey wasn't expecting to be killed. This was not the most complicated attack she'd ever planned, but it was one of the more brutal. Kimberly was no fool. She'd have to strike quickly, without warning, and from all sides simultaneously. The girl was a young opponent, but she was proving herself fairly resourceful. Teeg should have taken two coins away with her on her last trip; she'd scored only one. Half was not good enough and she wouldn't make that mistake again.

Kimberly's weakness lay in two places; her reliance on her friends and her devotion to her world. The attack she was planning was overkill and she knew it. This kind of warfare should be reserved for later in the game, but she wasn't going to take chances. The girl might not be fully grown, but she was damn good at being resourceful. Teeg was about to cut her resources and leave her completely stranded. Without backup, she was only one little girl.

Teeg growled silently to herself. That one little girl had thwarted her too many times, but she had been lazy, hadn't taken the her seriously. Now Kimberly was about to realize just who she was up against.

* * *

"So tell me about Jessica." Carri said flatly, handing Rocky a cup of coffee and walking past him to the couch.

"Carri." He said in an almost panicked tone. "Are you sure Josh didn't take the Ranger comments seriously?" Tommy was going to murder him when they got back. He hadn't been that drunk in a really long time; if ever.

"I told you." She said patiently, sitting down on the couch. "He just thought it was interesting. You were apparently going on and on about how sexy I was in yellow spandex, so I told him it was just a play acting scenario we did in the bedroom. I was so shocked, and I know my face was hot enough that I was obviously blushing, so I'm sure he believed me."

"Are you positive?" He asked, still worried. It was unbelievable that he'd let that secret out.

"Trust me. My brother's totally into that role-playing shit, he wasn't fazed by that explanation at all."

"Didn't he and Kim date?" He asked cautiously.

"Don't go there." She warned icily and he avoided her eyes and took a sip of his coffee. "Who's Jessica?" She asked, redirecting the conversation with a cold venom that made him wince.

"It was about six or seven months before I met you." He insisted, sitting down on the couch next to her, and swallowing hard as she raised a speculative eyebrow. "She's a former student of mine that grew up and when she came home from college, she decided I was more than a crush to her. I was dating Marie and things were…well they were ok. You know I wasn't really happy in that relationship."

He paused and took another sip of his coffee, looking at her hesitantly. "I was really flattered. She's five years younger than I am and really beautiful and…Carri beautiful women just don't come on to me. I mean, she was a swimsuit and calendar model when she was in college. That just doesn't happen very often to a guy." He gave her a look that asked her to understand, then continued on. " We had a lot in common, including teaching and martial arts…I dunno, I'm not proud of it, but it happened. Marie kinda got wind that something was up and I ended it. She went back to finish grad school and I went back to making it up to Marie. I think I stayed with Marie a whole extra six months because I felt so guilty and I honestly tried to give that relationship more genuine attention because of it."

"And this was all before you ever met me." Carri said evenly. It was a statement and not a question and he was slightly irritated that she didn't seem to believe him.

"Way before I met you." He insisted. "It happened over her Christmas break; we're talking almost a year ago. My god Carri, I can barely keep up with you…how could I possibly have someone on the side and not keel over?" He was half serious and very relieved when she cracked a partial smile. "I never lied to her." He insisted. "She knew I was in a long term relationship with Marie, it was just a…thing. She took it way more seriously than I did and was crushed when I had to end it…I told you, I'm not proud of it, but it happened." He paused again and took another large gulp of coffee. "The only good thing that came out of it was that I wasn't totally intimated by you when you came into my life. I mean, before her…I don't think I'd of even had the guts to talk to you…you're so far out of even her league."

Carri rolled her eyes slightly and ignored the last little bone he'd thrown out to her vanity. That was bullshit and they both knew it. She'd wanted Rocky and had gone after him with a vengeance once she'd learned Marie was out of the picture, but right now she wanted to keep this conversation on track and then bury it; one way or the other. "Then why were you talking about it being weird to be around her again and all worried I'd find out if you left your phone unattended?" She asked with a hard set to her jaw.

"She's broke." Rocky admitted, putting his empty coffee mug on the table and sitting forward a little. "She got fired from her job in Sunnydale and between her apartment and her student loans she was going under. She moved back to Angel Grove to live with her sister and asked Archer to give her a job. She's a really good teacher and I'm short instructors; Archer didn't know we'd had a fling. He didn't think I'd object, so he hired her. This all happened the day before we left. I didn't find out about it until we were packing. Archer gave her my cell and by the time we got to the airport she'd left like twenty messages. I haven't called her back yet because I honestly don't know what to say and yeah, I was a little scared you'd hear those messages and wonder what I was up to…so it took the battery out and said I forgot my charger, which I really did, so I wouldn't have to deal with it until we got back."

Carri took a sip of her coffee, but didn't say anything. Josh didn't think he was having an affair, but he wasn't sure. It wasn't like Rocky was actually a coherent drunk. She'd had way too many boyfriends cheat on her and to hear Rocky might have cheated too didn't sit well. She was deeply in love with him and the potential for getting hurt at this point was huge. Of course, better he cheat on Marie than her and yes, there was a little smug satisfaction in that. Besides, it was nice to know she wasn't the first to take his eyes off his former girlfriend. Not that she felt in the least bit guilty or responsible about that, but she had wondered occasionally if their meeting might have instigated the breakup.

"Carri it's the truth. I'm not lying to you." He said honestly.

"Oh I believe you." She said easily. "But I want to know what you plan to do about her being back in town and working at your school."

"I don't know what to do." He said honestly. He was relieved that Carri believed him, but his head was pounding and he really couldn't think straight. "The thing is, she's a really good instructor; one that doesn't have to be watched or told what to do all the time. I need more teachers like that right now with me not being there full time."

Carri frowned and drained the last of her coffee, standing up to get a second one and ignoring Rocky's empty mug. She didn't agree at all, this girl had to be totally watched, but she'd already interfered enough with Rocky's family life. She didn't want to be accused of dictating how he ran his business too. Hell, if he had any idea how many of her ex-boyfriends still worked for her father or for her own production company, he'd have a shit fit. The difference was, she didn't see them on a daily basis and had staff deal with them when they needed to communicate with her.

"She wants you back?" Carri asked simply, sitting back down and looking him straight in the eye. He blanched, which gave her the answer she didn't want to hear.

"It's different now." Rocky answered. "I'm in a relationship where I'm really happy. I'm not interested in playing around, honestly. I mean, yes, I did it once, but it totally wasn't worth it."

"Uh hummm…" Carri said sardonically.

"Carri…" He started, but she cut him off.

"No." She said firmly, a hard edge back in her voice. "I'm not going to tell you how to run your businesses Rocky, god knows I hate it when people try and step in and run mine, but I'll tell you what I've told every other man I've ever dated: You cheat, it's over. I'll walk faster than you can blink. All my life I've watched my father play around with his pretty little _friends_ and my mother turn a blind eye to it. I won't live that way. The only thing I will ever demand from a relationship is respect; unfaithfulness is not respect."

"Carri, I have no intensions of screwing this relationship up. It's too important to me, you're too important to me." He said insistently. " My god, didn't Aquitar in some little way prove that to you? I love you damnit. I've never loved anyone as much as you, I'm not gonna screw this up."

Carri rubbed her hands against the heat of the coffee mug, twirling it gently back and forth. "I believe you." She said. "But I also would have preferred hearing about this from you rather than hear from my brother that you disconnected your phone so I wouldn't accidentally pick up messages I shouldn't know about."

"I'm not perfect Carri." He said defensively. "I didn't know how to handle the situation, but I did know you'd fly off the handle if you heard some of those messages. I'll be brutally honest if you want me to, she went into some pretty graphic detail. Hell, you can listen to them if it'll make you feel better." He paused and made an exasperated sound. "I don't know what to do. I feel really guilty that I used her. It's not her fault I decided I didn't want to be a good guy for once then found out in the process I didn't like what I was doing. Now she's in trouble and I feel like I need to at least help her in some way, but I don't want it to screw us up in the process. I'm sorry if that makes me look guilty in your eyes, but I've done nothing wrong except ignore it and run away from her for a few days."

Carri sighed deeply. One of the biggest things that had attracted her to him was that he was a good guy and lord knew she'd used that guilty streak in him to her own advantage more than once. Unfortunately, she didn't want him to be a good guy in the instance. She wanted him to be a tough SOB who told this little tramp to hit the road; she could starve to death for all he cared. But she knew he wouldn't do it. He had a huge heart and this bitch was going to take advantage of it.

"I guess it all comes down to how much I trust you." She said softly, taking another sip of coffee. "Which I do. I love you Rocky, I've never had anything as good as what's between the two of us, but I'm not very good at trusting men. I have my father and my brother to thank for that. I love them both, but they take infidelity to a new art form. I will tell you this though." She said, pausing and meeting his eyes squarely. "You can be the good guy and take care of her until she gets on her feet again, but if I ever come face to face with her over you, I'm gonna smash her face in 'till there's nothing left of it."

She rose and walked over to the bedroom door. "I need to change and then you're taking me shopping before we have dinner."

"Not that I have any intentions of arguing with you at this point." Rocky said cautiously, relieved they seemed to be done talking about it for now. "But didn't you say you shopped yourself out the day after Thanksgiving?"

"That was before I knew you told Cestro to turn up the dial on my boobs." She called over her shoulder, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"I think that was productive." Molly said with a satisfied smile as she and Kim walked out of the photography studio and down the sidewalk to the car.

"It was expensive." Kim said. The cost of putting on a wedding was mind boggling. She knew, through Carri, bits and pieces of the details of Kat's wedding; staying interested, not because she wanted to copy it, but because she wanted to make sure hers was as different as possible. She didn't know how Kat was paying for everything she was doing; she had to have been saving for years.

"You get what you pay for." Her mother said simply, clicking the lock release and opening her door.

"But, mom…seven, almost eight thousand dollars for a couple of albums?" Kim asked from the other side. "That's a lot of money." She added and Molly paused, facing her daughter squarely over the roof of the car.

"Kimberly, these aren't just pictures, it's your wedding album. I think that's a very good price for what we're asking for. There's your portrait, your album, three parent's albums, and tons loose pictures to give away, not to mention everything else the photographer was willing to throw in." She said, then sat down behind the wheel and started the car.

"It's just a lot of money." Kim said, sitting down in the passenger seat and pulling her seat belt on. "I keep thinking of my budget for the house, seven thousand goes a long way toward installing one of the bathrooms upstairs."

"Kimberly this is your wedding, not a remodel." Molly said testily. "You can remodel your house anytime you want over the next twenty years. Weddings don't happen very often in your life; at least I hope they won't."

"I just hate to see you spend so much money on me." Kim said.

"Since when?" Molly laughed. "When I think of the tens of thousands of dollars I spent on gymnastics training and traveling to competitions…my god Kimberly, this is nothing."

"Mom...you and Andre have already spent so much on me; Andre still has two daughters and Charlotte who are going to want weddings. Honestly, I'm fine with just a simple reception like Trini had. I mean, her wedding yesterday was incredibly beautiful and everyone had a wonderful time; but her parents really didn't spend that much money on it."

"Sweetie, you only get married for the first time once." Molly said simply and Kim bit her lip. She wasn't entirely sure if her mother had forgotten or was ignoring her quick marriage and annulment to Elemi or if she was casually suggesting that she didn't think her marriage to Tommy would last that long. Stomach rolling nervously, she wasn't entirely sure how she was going to tell her that she and Tommy had already eloped the previous day.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as her mother pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road. "Are you sure you feel up to a late lunch?"

Molly sighed and gave her daughter a whimsical look. "I'm perfectly fine for a forty-eight year old woman about to have her fifth baby." She said in a tone that Kim wasn't quite sure how to take. "I should be looking forward to grandbabies…" She added in a sour tone. "But that's not the life God intended me for I guess."

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"It's nothing sweetie." Her mom said dismissively. "I'm not a very good pregnant lady; never have been. Lord knows I've been pregnant enough to know the cycle. I get very morbid and depressed, but I'll be fine."

"What do you mean?" Kim asked again. She had never known her mother to be morbid or sad. Even with everything she'd been through in life, she always had a smile on her face and something encouraging to say. "I don't really remember Michael, but with Charlotte you were really happy." She added. Her mother sighed heavily and was silent for a while.

"Sweetie you were too young to remember how I was with Michael and with Charlotte…well, you were under so much pressure getting ready for the Pan Games…and you were also too young for me to burden you with things. The truth is I've never enjoyed being pregnant. It's always made me incredibly tired and ill and even though they say every pregnancy is different, it's always been the same for me." She paused again as she merged and turned left across a busy road and then continued.

"Don't get me wrong Kimberly, I love all my children absolutely to pieces, but I would really have enjoyed it if I could have had just a little time to myself. I had you way too young sweetie, I never got time to really be a kid myself. Then came Michael and then the divorce…just about the time I thought I could really have a little time for me…well, then came Charlotte. I love your sister, I really do, and I'm glad Andre and I have her, but God help me she's twice the handful you and your brother were combined…or maybe I'm just older, I don't know. Now, I finally get Charlotte to an easier stage…and here comes the next one. It just never ends. I'm going to be sixty-seven when this one leaves for college." She said with a frustrated cluck of her tongue.

Kim was silent the rest of the way to the restaurant. She had always considered herself close to her mom, but Molly had never opened up to her about her inner feelings like that before. Molly had been a strict parent, but she had also been a young parent and they honestly enjoyed a lot of the same things and got along pretty well; at times acting more like girlfriends than mother and child. Hearing her mom talk openly about something as intimate as pregnancy…it was like seeing a whole new side of her mother that she never knew about. It surprised her and she wondered what else she didn't know.

"Tommy and I are still planning to have the wedding," Kim blurted out suddenly as her mother began to park the car near the restaurant, "But we're already married." She winced hard, knowing that wasn't exactly how she wanted to say it, but glad that it was out.

Her mother slid the gear shift into park and gave her daughter a hard look. "Excuse me?" She said in the same tone that Kim absolutely hated to hear when she was a teenager. It was the tone she'd get when she admitted she'd screwed something up.

"I just don't want you to spend a ton of money on me when we've already gotten married." She said in a rush.

"Kimberly… tell me honestly, are you pregnant?" Her mother asked her seriously.

"No." Kim said firmly. "I got scared mom. I thought that somehow getting married was this huge life changing event and that I'd have this massive epiphany and realize I was a completely different person; I didn't know how I'd handle it with all those people watching me. I was building it up in my mind to the point where I was literally panicking during Trini's rehearsal… and that's just not like me. I honestly really want something simple and between you and Tommy's mom it's turning out to be a huge event. Between the Rush's and the Oliver's and the Hart's and the William's and the Girard's…I'm going to end up with more guests than Katherine Hillard's having if they all come….and that doesn't include our friends. So when Tommy went back to Reefside on business yesterday, we just went to the courthouse and got married; just the two of us."

"Oh my God." Molly moaned, leaning her head against the steering wheel. "Your trust fund…you do realize you could completely lose your trust fund by running off like that." She had fought tooth and nail for four years to keep her husband's hands off her daughter's trust fund, if Kim had nullified it by marrying that boy prematurely, she would physically be ill.

"Tommy signed the Hart pre-nup and we had it notarized before we went."

"Thank God for small miracles." He mother muttered. "At least you two had enough sense to do that." She opened the door and got out of the car, waiting patiently for her daughter to do the same. Kim got out of the car slowly, watching her mother closely and waiting for the tirade. She closed the door and walked around the car expectantly, but Molly simply hit the lock button and turned toward the restaurant door.

"That's it?" Kim said cautiously and her mother turned to her with a questioning look.

"That's what?" She asked.

"That's it? No lecturing, no bemoaning the fact I ran off?"

"Honey you're almost thirty years old and have been married twice." He mother said simply. "The only thing I care about is that trust fund staying in your name; which it wouldn't have if you hadn't had the sense to annul that first one right away. It might not be important to you now, but as you get closer to my age and start thinking about retirement, you'll be very happy to have that income coming in."

"That's all you're worried about?" Kim asked incredulously.

"You said you're still having the ceremony right?" Her mother countered and Kim nodded. "And you still want me to plan it?" She asked and Kim nodded again. "Well then that's fine sweetie, you got married legally now and you can have a minister finalize it in May." When her daughter continued to stare at her she added. "Honey, this is your second marriage. You didn't realize the first time that a marriage certificate only makes things easier legally? That you change your name, but you stay exactly the same person you were before?"

"The first time wasn't really a marriage." Kim said numbly. "It was more…it was more like a…"

"Like a hiccup?" Her mother asked with a wry look and Kim nodded. "Well at least you realized your hiccup right away. It took me fifteen years to get rid of mine." She said as she opened the door and gestured for her daughter to enter. "Now, about the flowers. I found this incredible place in Coral Cove, the woman is an absolute artist…and I know art…"

* * *

Tommy shook his head as he walked out of Billy's lab and caught sight of Jason on his way in. He wondered if his friend would try and ambush him this afternoon and he was right. He nodded in greeting and Jason nodded back, coming up along side of him.

"I hear congratulations are in order." Jason said in a tone that wasn't necessarily friendly. Tommy paused and regarded him cautiously. He didn't have much time to talk right now and needed to get a few things done before he met up with his wife for coffee.

"Thanks bro." He said easily, choosing for the moment to ignore Jason's attitude. Kimberly had told him Jason wasn't exactly thrilled by their marriage. Not, she insisted because he wasn't happy for them, but because he felt Kim had been pressured into it. Tommy held a different opinion on the matter, but kept it to himself.

He and Jason had always been good friends, nearly as close as brothers, but even brothers sometimes had to endure a little competition between themselves; theirs went all the way back to the posturing over just who had been in charge of leading the Rangers and their pack at school. He was confident that Jason had never wanted Kim for himself, but he was also more than a little sure his friend thought, on some level, that he was stealing her away. Kim and Jason had always been close friends, becoming even closer after their adventure on Muirantias. Even as teens, when she was very definitely his girlfriend and not Jason's, the two had still jockeyed a bit for the bigger share of her attention.

The truth was, Jason wasn't very good at sharing and Tommy was horrible at it; so it was bound to trigger things occasionally. There was also the fact that now Tommy had a wife and Jason knew they were going to try and start a family. That was two one-ups on the friendly rivalry board that he didn't honestly think his friend was just going to roll over and ignore.

"Hey, I just realized we've been ignoring those mats in the conference room lately." Jason said casually. "How 'bout we get a little sparing in today?"

"Thanks," Tommy said, starting to move away. "But I've got a full evening on my plate. Maybe later."

"I insist." Jason nearly growled, putting his hand firmly on Tommy's shoulder to keep him from leaving. Tommy turned and regarded him again, shrugging off the hand. He knew exactly what kind of sparring Jason had in mind and he also knew his wife would kill them both if they hurt each other. Then again, better they get things ironed out between them now rather than letting it fester.

"Alright." He said in the same tone. "Give me a second to change."

* * *

As Conner trudged up the last steps to his apartment, a familiar blond head came into view and he groaned with far more annoyance than he actually felt at seeing his friend, once again, on his doorstep.

"Took you long enough to come home." Kira said scoldingly.

"I work." He said plainly. "Maybe you've heard of it?"

"I'm trying." She said with a moan. "It's not as easy as it sounds."

"I take it your call back didn't go well?"

"No, it went great; awesome actually. But now they want me to come back tomorrow when the producer's gonna be there to screen the final call backs."

"So you need a place to crash?" He asked. She smiled brightly at him in response and he gestured for her to stand up and go to the door.

"Have you eaten?" He asked as he opened the door and she walked inside. "I missed lunch."

" I was going to." She said, turning around and walking backwards. "But that kinda requires money. People get kinda nasty if you eat and then don't pay them."

"You came all the way out to California from New York without money?" He asked. "And they call me the dense one."

"Hey, I had money." She said defensively, "I just didn't expect to be out here for three days."

"Three days? You've been out here for three days?" He asked.

"Well two, tomorrow's the third day." She said, leaning against his kitchen counter as he walked past. "I thought I could, you know, stay in Reefside and then commute down here with my mom's car."

"So what happened?" He asked, sitting down in an ancient, stained, and decrepit Lazy Boy and indicating for her to sit on the same old and falling apart sofa she'd dozed on last night. She hesitated a moment then sat down."

"Nobody home." She said simply. "My mom's over at my aunt's house because my cousin's having her baby…or rather just had her baby…and I just feel really weird staying there with my step dad and his son. Dr. O has apparently moved down here, but I don't know where, and Hayley was out of town too."

"What about Trent?" Conner asked, referring to her on again, off again boyfriend. She winced and he was immediately sorry he asked.

"He uhm…" She paused. "He had company when I called him."

"Oh." Conner said lamely, not really knowing what else to say. He knew some sketchy details about their odd, long distant relationship since high school, but he honestly didn't want to know too much. "Uhm, well Dr. O's here in Angel Grove. He moved in with his girlfriend and they're building a house or something."

"Dr. O's _dating_?" She asked in animated surprise. "Nobody ever tells me anything anymore." She complained.

"Maybe because you moved to the other side of the country?" Conner suggested and she stuck her tongue out at him with a snide face. "It's weird." Conner continued, ignoring her. "He's all gaga over her, which is totally freaky. He stares at her all the time and has this totally moony look on his face."

"That's …"

"Yeah, I know." Conner agreed even though she hadn't finished her sentence. "It's creepy."

"So what's she like?" Kira asked. She'd been about to say that was wonderful, but that obviously wasn't what Conner thought about it.

"She's hot." He admitted. "She's a former Ranger like he was."

"Which one?" Kira asked with interest.

"I dunno, I think she was a pink." He answered.

"Duh, there've been several pinks. He supposedly dated two."

"He did?" He asked, rather impressed by that knowledge.

"According to Hayley." She confirmed.

"Her name's Kimberly, but I don't know her last name." He admitted.

"Oh my god, does Hayley know?"

"I guess she does. Hayley supposedly moved into his house in Reefside so he could stay here with her."

"That is so cool." Kira said excitedly. "I wonder if it's the same Kimberly he was in love with for all those years. I guess it would have to be if she's a former Ranger."

"So why are you out here again?" Conner asked, changing the subject. It was strange that Kira would know details like that, but, then again, she was always way more into the history stuff than he'd been. It was hard enough to think of his former teacher with a girlfriend, he didn't actually want to sit and discuss his actual love life in any detail. Dr. O was, in his opinion, old. The idea of him being all moony over somebody made him feel…well, it was just…weird.

"Oh…well, a friend of mine is involved with this show called _Hidden Adventures_. He supposedly created it, but now it's produced and run by a friend of his out here in Angel Grove. Anyway, he called me and told me they were auditioning for the new season and to get my butt out here. I mean, acting's not really my thing, but at this point any job is a job and it beats the unemployment line. Besides, every host of this show has apparently gone on to do really great things. I figure it's a good jumping off point and I'm not gonna complain if they want to pay me."

"What happened to the cat litter jingle thing?"

"Oh…I uhm..." She paused just long enough to tweak Conner's interest, but then quickly continued. "I had to go help some friends for a couple of weeks and when I came back…well, they didn't take it very well that I missed a recording session…or four."

"That sucks."

"Yeah…well, it's ok. I mean, on to other things, right?" She asked and he nodded his head, humoring her. "I met a lot of really great friends…so it was totally worth it. Didn't you say something about food?" She asked, changing the subject as her stomach audibly growled.

"Pizza ok?" He asked and she nodded.

"At this point anything sounds good." She admitted, getting up from the sofa as he stood up and out of the chair.

"Awesome. There's this really cool place called Bulkmier's."

"Hey, if you're paying, I'm not complaining." She said as she followed him out the door.

* * *

"So tell me something…_bro_…" Tommy said, wiping the blood from his chin and looking at the smudge on the back of his hand. "What digs at you the most? The fact that I now have the inside scoop on what Kim's up to or the fact that I have a hot wife and you don't?"

Jason lunged, but Tommy was ready for him this time. Neither seriously wanted to do much damage to the other, but first blood had been drawn and Tommy wasn't going to leave it at that. After nearly a half an hour of aggressive one-on-one and snide remarks on both sides, Jason was now taking cheap shots and Tommy's temper was ready to explode.

He side stepped his friend and then turned, landing a punch that sent the other man stumbling backward off balance. He lost his footing on a loose corner where the mats overlapped and tripped, landing with enough force to propel him through the drywall with a loud crashing sound that surprised them both. It wasn't exactly what Tommy had been going for, and his face showed it, but he'd take it. He walked over slowly, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the crook of his arm. Leaning in slightly, he offered Jason a hand up.

"I think we're both agreed…you need to find your own wife." Tommy said, a bit more harshly than he'd intended and Jason glared at him before accepting the hand up.

"I think we're both agreed, Kim's letting you get away with too much." He said, the heat still in his voice, but most of his anger diffused.

"Then we agree to disagree." Tommy said evenly.

"What happened?" Kim snapped, marching into the room, Dr. Manx directly on her heels, both staring at the huge hole in the drywall. She turned accusingly to the two men who'd obviously been doing more than a little friendly sparring.

"Nothing." Jason said. "Absolutely nothing."

"Then what's that?" Kim asked, pointing to the wall that now had a good sized opening into the next room. "We heard the crash all the way on the other side of level eight."

"Jason decided to do a little remodeling." Tommy said coolly, then turned to Kim, gently but firmly turning her around. "We need to talk." He said, giving her a gentle push towards the door. He gave Jason one last hard look and then guided her out the door and into the furthest conference room he could find in Billy's secretion of level eight.

"What's going on?" She asked, reaching up to touch his bloodied lip, her forehead furrowed with concern.

"I might ask the same thing. Jason insisted we get a little sparing in." He said, pausing long enough to watch her wince. "Seems he thinks I'm not treating you very well."

"Why would he say that?" She asked.

"You tell me." He said firmly. "What's going on that I don't know about?"

"Nothing." She said with a slight shrug. "I mean, I told you he thinks I don't stand up to you enough and that I'm letting you push me into too many fast decisions."

"That's not enough to start throwing dirty blows on the mat." Tommy countered, the hard edge in his voice surfacing despite his best efforts to keep it under control. He was pissed, either Jason was playing hero and on the offense over some perceived misdeed Kim had complained about or his friend was way out of line. He wasn't sure he liked either possibility.

"Tommy, Jason's emotions are tied to mine; it's an empathic link we've shared since we were both altered. He knows I'm seriously stressing out and I won't tell him why. All he knows is that you swooped back into my life after swearing we were over for good and now he's shut out. He doesn't know why and he's worried about me. I've tried to tell him it's not you, but he's not buying it. He sees me caving in on nearly everything we do together and not doing anything about it."

"Caving in on what?" Tommy asked, exasperated, and she shot him an incredulous look. "What?" He asked again.

"The house for one thing, this new press job for another, and basically everything about moving in together and getting married so fast."

"The press job I get." He admitted. "I know I badgered you into that and I'm sorry, but I need you in that position. Getting married, I know we moved into that idea pretty fast, but we talked about it over and over, we weighed all the options and worked everything through. But what the hell does the house have to do with it? It's _your_ house. I was the one who totally caved when I agreed to give up my house in Reefside."

"Sweetheart, all he's looking at is how you got totally involved in every aspect from the outset; deciding how to tear out the old remodel, what should be saved or recycled, what equipment to use." She held up her hands to stop his protest. "I know, I asked you to, but then when you got pissed at the inspector, you decided to move the whole damn house rather than deal with Stone Canyon anymore…that was obviously not my decision." She said with an overly patient tone. "I didn't want the house moved, but I gave in and let you do it because you were so obsessed with it and it was driving you totally crazy when we had other things to worry about… it wasn't worth it to me to argue." She paused and held up a hand again as he started to defend his actions. "I like what you're doing with it and yes, we talked about it and I'm fine with it, but Jase isn't privy to those conversations, he just sees me roll my eyes and let you do it. And as for marriage, we both acknowledge that we jumped too quick into that decision, but do you honestly want to disclose how long we've actually been together and how long we've been talking about it since that time?"

Tommy gave her a frustrated look and shrugged his shoulder, silently willing to admit she was right, but unwilling to give up his angst. They had spent over six months in Angel Grove's past together as a married couple, which had the benefit of making her far more comfortable with the idea of being married, but unfortunately it wasn't an experience either could share with the outside world. After six months of living together in a stressful situation, they at least knew they were compatible and the arrangement worked well, but if he was going to be brutally honest with himself, pushing her forward with marriage had far more to do with his need to have a formal and permanent commitment from her than it did with any need on his part to be married.

Even if he accepted and completely believed her story that the DG had interfered with their relationship as teens, and he had no doubt that she wasn't lying, it still didn't erase years of insecurities embedded into him by her damn Dear John letter. He wasn't going to risk getting that hurt again. If he was going to allow himself to fall in love with her again, he wanted to know that she was onboard for good. If he had pushed a little too hard to get her to the Reefside courthouse yesterday, well he would apologize if she ever pressed him on it, but if they were going to go ahead and elope anyway, then he was damn sure gonna do it before anymore of her ex's came calling.

"You're my wife." He nearly growled. "You shouldn't be running to Jason every time you have a grievance."

"I'm not." She said defensively. "I'm barely saying anything at all, that's the problem. He's so used to being on the inside of everything going on in my life and now I'm not even telling him ten percent of it. He's feeling excluded and looking for someone to blame."

"Then you need to work things out with your so called _Muirantian twin_." Tommy said "I'm sick of this. Talk about putting your foot down. It's him you need to set straight."

Kimberly inhaled deeply through her nose and let the breath out slowly; willing herself to be calm and have patience. Honestly she didn't know who needed to chill more, but if the two were coming to blows, then she supposed she needed to interfere. "What time are we moving the house?" She said simply, changing the subject.

"I dunno." He said, trying to shake off the last of his frustration. "Around two or three in the morning."

"Good." She said, moving closer and leaning into him despite the fact he was rather sweaty and gross. "Then why don't you get cleaned up and take me out for the coffee you promised. I'll talk to Carri about Jason, she's apparently having similar problems. I'll handle it, I promise." She said, reaching up and kissing his cheek quickly.

He nodded and returned the kiss, then turned and left the conference room. She sighed deeply as she followed him out the door, turning in the opposite direction back into Billy's lab. Somehow, some way, she and Carri had to find Jason a girlfriend… and fast.

* * *

Rita was more excited than she could ever remember being. It was time. She knew where her predecessor was, she knew how to get to her, and most importantly, she knew how to confine her. Everything was going smoothly and successfully. Teeg needed her and she was ready for what she had to do. It was just a matter of time and she'd be the most powerful witch this side of the known galaxy. She had only to take a deep breath and wait for the signal to begin…

* * *

" I can't look." Kim moaned, putting both hands over her face as Tommy and Billy gave the all clear. Through slightly opened fingers, she saw four dark figures move away from the outline of the house and back in their general direction. Trini smiled softly, although in the dim moonlight before dawn it wasn't likely her friend could see it; even if she'd been looking. She placed an arm around her and Kim leaned into it, pressing her forehead against her shoulder. "Just tell me when it's over."

The foundation of the house had been completely disconnected and the insides shored up. Tommy and his brother had gone over every detail one more time this morning even though they'd already triple checked everything the afternoon before. Now Tommy, his brother, Jason and Billy were in the final stages of transporting the house from its old foundation to the new one Tommy and David had built.

"Alright Kat." Billy's voice said from the darkness where the boys were standing. "Initiate transport."

Despite her resolve not to look, Kim's head popped up, her hands came away from her face, and she watched as her house was engulfed in a bright glow of blue-white light and disappeared, re-appearing almost instantly a hundred yards away on its new foundation. She had expected groaning and popping, but there was relatively little noise; just a sort of wooden sigh, as if the old home had settled its frame into a new easy chair.

"That was easy." She said incredulously and from the close darkness she heard Tommy laugh.

"I told you," He said, coming up alongside and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind in a huge bear hug. "I know what I'm doing."

"You mean you have friends who know what they're doing." She countered.

"Come on." David said, moving past them towards the new location of the house. "Let's check it out and get things bolted down."

* * *

"Your brother snores more loudly than a fog horn." Rocky complained, rolling over in his reclining leather chair. Carri groaned then laughed softly as her brother let off another round from behind them. She opened her eyes to see Rocky looking at her and rolled them dramatically.

"Think we should stuff a towel in his mouth or something?" She suggested. Rocky grinned at her, then grimaced as the loud roaring sound behind them got even more intense.

"Jesus Christ." He swore. He was tired; beyond tired actually. It was nearly five in the morning east coast time and almost two in Angel Grove. "Will we have any time to sleep once we get home?" He asked.

"I doubt I will." Carri lamented. She'd been up for over two days, by all rights she should be so tired that she didn't even hear her brother, but Carri wasn't sure what was louder, the little plane's jet engines or the thunderous snoring behind them. She was so tired she wasn't even pissed and that signaled she was getting dangerously punchy. "I've got to get over to the office and see what Chris has come up with for the shows." She said. "God, if I had known casting was going to go so shity this week I'd of never left him in charge. It's not exactly rocket science. We have a formula, we know what we want, and California is full of actors."

"What's the problem?" Rocky asked, pulling up his blanket and rolling over to face her.

"I dunno." She said with frustration. " I have a girl I want for _Hidden Adventures_ and I'm not budging. I told Chris to find a guy that works well with her and the one he came up with…they just don't click on camera; at all. That's a touchy show to cast. You have to have someone who's a bit of a daredevil and who doesn't mind that they're gonna go off road in the dirt and basically camp out around the world. They get dirty, sweaty, have the runs constantly from local food and water, suffer jet lag and bumps and bruises, and then we want them to work for peanuts and be all perky on camera."

"You did it for how many years?" Rocky asked.

"Four seasons, but we only filmed it for just over two and a half years." She rolled her head to the side and met his eyes. "It was insane, but Kim and I didn't know any different. We honestly had fun together and it showed on camera. That's why we only cast for one season now before re-signing or changing hosts; the new kids don't always get along and when that happens the whole season goes down. I'm hoping with this new girl we can put some much needed energy back into it. I'd hate to see it end, but on the other hand, it's been running for eight seasons."

"What's so special about this new girl?" He asked, yawning broadly and Carri grinned at him.

"Adam found her…she's a retired yellow."

"You serious?" he asked, eyes a little perkier. "Which one?"

"From what I'm told, she's one of Tommy's old students."

"Shit…have you told him?" He asked and she shook her head, wincing as her brother let off another sonic blast.

"Nah, I told Kim about her and she said to sign the girl first. He's apparently really protective of his kids and that contract sucks."

Rocky rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself. That could possibly be a real kettle of worms if Tommy thought Carri was taking advantage. Rocky had no illusions, Carri ran a very tight ship and, despite the fact that she'd started out on the other side of the camera, as a producer she was downright vicious. She put together some really good shows though; just about everything she'd tried her hand at had resulted in some sort of success or another. Still, he had a hard time thinking she'd actually screw over another Ranger.

"Carri, Rangers…"

"Rangers take care of other Rangers." Carri finished for him. "Don't worry, part of the flack I was getting from my dad earlier was that I modified the contracts. He's worried I'm setting a bad precedent, or going soft, but I know what I'm doing."

"And what's that?"

"Taking care of a fellow yellow." She said simply. "…and making sure I keep Oliver off my back."

Rocky chuckled and reached out to take her hand. She returned his grasp and laid her head on his shoulder. They sat there silently for a while, listing to the rhythmic bombardment from the rear of the plane until Carri finally sighed and sat back in her own recliner.

"What was that package Josh gave you when we boarded?" She asked.

"Uhm…" Rocky answered. "Nothing, just some stuff."

"What stuff?" She asked, sitting up and turning to him.

"Nothing." He said, shifting around in his seat. He refused to look at her and, releasing her hand, adjusted the blanket around him.

"Rocky..." She said, not buying it for an instant. The two guys had sat in the rear of the plane for nearly thirty minutes together while she finished up some last minute details on her laptop for her meeting tomorrow.

"Stuff…" Rocky said again, still not looking at her. She leaned forward and turned his head around with her hand.

"What stuff?" She insisted, catching his eyes firmly. Rocky turned around and stole a look at her brother, who was still sawing wood loudly behind them, and then a glance up the aisle, where the attendant had just taken a tray up to the pilots.

"Weird stuff." He admitted, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "He apparently thinks we have something else in common since you told him about the _Ranger _thing."

"What?" She asked, a little too loudly and he shushed her, looking around again to see if anyone was listening.

"He thinks…aw, never mind. He showed me all these magazines and websites where you can buy stuff to…well you know."

"Holy shit…" She said, giggling like she was in high school again. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." He confirmed.

"I so do not want to know that side of my brother." She giggled. "Sometimes I'd overhear him and dad talking…" She shook her head and made a sour face. "I just don't want to think about them being guys."

"I didn't know what to say. I mean if I denied I was into it…I mean, Jesus Christ, the last thing I need after getting knocked around fighting a monster is to role play Rangers in the bedroom." He moaned and Carri burst out laughing. He shushed her, arms and hands gesturing animatedly not to wake her brother up or attract the attention of the attendant.

"So what's in the magazines?" She asked slyly and he rolled his eyes making a face somewhere in-between incredulous and mortified.

"Holy crap… I've seen some pretty weird stuff but….shit." He said, shaking his head and giving her a look that said he was baffled by half of it. "You're brother is one sick dude." He added. "I can't believe he and Kim dated, for what? Two years?"

"I can tell you first hand she's not into the weird stuff." Carri said in a definite tone, defending her absent friend. "It was a real problem between them, but I wasn't very good about listening to her about it. I didn't want to know and I'd get mad at her for trying to talk to me about it."

Rocky gave her a look that seemed to say he sympathized and a silence descended between the two for a little while.

"So what's in the magazines?' She asked again after a few moments, leaning forward conspiratorially with a twinkle in her eyes. Rocky shook his head and paused a second, pressing his lips firmly together as if to keep from laughing, then looked over at her with the same sly and amused look.

"One of 'em has just about every Ranger uniform there is…and all kind of props… including a whole section titled _evil doers_…"

"Holy shit." Carri giggled. "Well, at least we know where to go if we need a spare change of clothes."

"That's not the slightest bit funny Carri." He answered, but he was grinning, and his eyes twinkled as brightly as hers did. "It happens to be one of your brother's favorite sites on the web."

"Seriously?"

"Oh yeah." He answered. "He apparently thinks we have that in common now too." He said, giving Carri a meaningful look. "He went on and on about how he's got this thing for the pink Mighty Morphin Ranger."

"No!" Carri answered dramatically "Oh my god…. I feel so bad for him. He had his fantasy come to life when he was dating Kim and never knew it."

"Oh no." Rocky said casually, adjusting the blankets and giving her an odd look. "That's not even the worst of it. Seems the version he liked best was when she started to grow up a little…you know, got taller with boobs…"

"But that was…oh my god!" She cried, both hands on her mouth to keep from squealing. "Oh my god.." She said again. "That's just so wrong..."

"Yeah." Rocky said, raising his eyebrows up with a comically regretful look. "Good thing Ranger code keeps me from telling him he's got a fetish for his cousin."

"Some things are just better left unsaid." Carri replied, leaning back in her seat, but grinning evilly. She turned and glanced back at Rocky and the two erupted in mutual soft laughter.

* * *

"Ok, we're all set for the day." Tommy said, coming out on the porch where Kim was sitting on the step. "Everything checks out and looks good. We should be able to hook up the utilities sometime this week."

"I can't believe you moved the house." Kim said in a droll tone.

"Yeah, but look at that view." He said, pointing out over the new front yard that showed a view overlooking Angel Grove, which lay slightly down the hills, and directly over to a distant Angel Lake. "That's gonna be gorgeous at night and you couldn't see it at all when the house was down in that corner of the lot."

"You moved my whole freak'n house." She said again and he grinned at her, leaning over to steal a kiss.

"You sure you're ok with it?"

"It's done now." She said, rolling her eyes. "But, yes, I'm fine with it." She reached out and cupped the side of his face with her hand and started to add something else just a buzzing zacada sound cut her off. Tommy cursed loudly and with emotion, starting to get up, but she motioned him to stay put. "I'll only be a few minutes." She said, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"Kim…" He started to protest weakly, then slumped his shoulders. It scared him to death that she'd take off somewhere without him, but he understood he couldn't follow her everywhere. "Power protect you." He said softly. She smiled and kissed his temple.

"You too sweet." She said. He turned to hug her, but she disappeared in a flash of red light.

Rolling his eyes and with the high energy he'd felt earlier suddenly and completely drained from his body, he stood sighed heavily. Taking one last look at the view of the rising sun, he descended the steps towards his Jeep.

* * *

Kim landed with Thomas in a very familiar looking Angel Grove Park. One look at the cars driving by and she realized they were back in time a good decade or so. At her raised eyebrow, he nodded over to where a pack of very familiar teens bounded down the sidewalk on rollerblades.

"That's the one I told you about." He said evenly.

"Kemora's last victim?" She asked and he nodded confirmation. "How's she working out?" She asked again, straining her eyes a bit to take a closer look at the girl.

"Better than I expected." He admitted and Kim raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "She's very strong." He continued, "If a bit immature…still, she's one of only two alternates that have ever survived Kemora's demonic possession."

"I wasn't exactly the most mature person you'd ever worked with either." Kim reminded him.

"Wasn't?" He said, completely deadpan and she laughed.

"Did I just hear a joke?" She asked flippantly.

"No." He said evenly, but she smiled again anyway.

"So what do I need to do?" She asked as the girl in question rolled out of sight with her friends.

"Nothing." Thomas said.

"Nothing?" She repeated.

Thomas shook his head. "You simply need to know where she is."

"I beg your pardon?" Kim asked, frowning.

"You have a knack for always knowing where and when you are. If I show you once, you manage to find your way back without any further coaching and then get yourself home again." He turned and looked at her seriously. "I know you take chances, risks, and I know you don't play by the rules."

"Am I being reprimanded?" She asked seriously.

"No, just warned. You have about as many enemies as I do and you've been at this only a fraction of the time. You're good K. Good at what you do…and lucky. That combination always breeds resentments, at best it breeds notoriety, and that's not always a good thing in our business. You need to trust your gut, it's remarkably on target most of the time. Primus, the master who trained me after Zordon, always said you had the ability to develop into a very powerful guardian if the others would just leave you alone. You're stronger than Kemora and always have been. You have a knack for channeling the flow of the Power, keep that close to you. You have the answers, you just need to solve the problem."

"You're scaring me." She said more evenly than she felt. What the hell was he talking about?

"I have one more place to show you." He said and disappeared.

When they landed again it was in a much more familiar place. The cars and fashions were modern and Kim realized that they were either back in her own dimension or one that closely paralleled it. Relaxing herself inwardly and allowing her sensitivity to commune with how the Power resonated in this world, she realized she wasn't home, so this had to be a close, but alternate dimension.

"Over here." Thomas said and turned, walking quickly away from her. "There." He said gesturing with a jerk of his chin. Kim looked up to see her double emerge from a Starbucks with her Tommy. The two walked quickly through the downtown and whatever he was saying to her wasn't exactly going over well. The two stopped in front of a modern office building and talked for a moment before the Tommy turned with an undeterminable look and walked away. The Kim, scowling, threw open the glass door and stomped in.

"I stumbled upon her by accident. She's not a Muirantian, but her life course is remarkably similar to yours." Thomas said as the two turned and walked away from the scene.

"That's interesting." Kim said. As far as she knew, she was an anomaly.

"It's important, but I haven't had time to digest it yet." Thomas said. "She's your age and yet she has returned to the Rangers multiple times. She was trained by Dulcea and now possesses a Planetary power."

Kimberly stopped, in turn causing Thomas to stop and wait impatiently for her. "Planetary powers are inter-dimensional powers." She said. "There's only one set that exist in all dimensions simultaneously. How could she possess one if she's not an inter-dimensional being?"

"That's what I have yet to find out…but, like you, she's a red Ranger…a leader…and she's a Phaedosian master warrior."

"But that means I might not be such an anomaly." Kim said, just an edge of excitement in her voice. "Maybe we're both part of a rare, but legitimate timeline."

"That's what I'm hoping to prove." Thomas said. "But I haven't succeeded yet. She's not married to her Tommy, they're definitely not together…both seem to be remorseful at that loss, but neither have shown any indications that the relationship will re-evolve now that she's back on Earth."

"But still…in time…maybe they will…" Kim said hopefully. If this dimension held a Kimberly with a similar life pattern, maybe there was hope that her timeline would be more acceptable. Maybe she wouldn't have to rush into having children just to appease the other timelines.

"We don't have time to wait and see." Thomas said with what seemed almost like a growl. "The two of you parallel. We won't know for sure until after she's lived her life and the history is written. The important notation is that she possesses an inter-dimensional power, which means you could handle one too; should the need arise."

"It's doubtful I'd ever be given the opportunity." Kimberly mused. Powers like that weren't handed out randomly and they certainly weren't given to reformed demon spawn. "Still…I'm glad you showed her to me. It gives me hope."

"I didn't bring you here to give you hope." Thomas said firmly. At her questioning look, he continued. "This alternate has fought Kemora not once, but twice." He paused and let the significance of that set in. "The first time she was possessed by the demon, she was able to shake her off; surviving to become stronger than ever. That's unprecedented. I'm wondering if it's this possession that led her down the alternate path she chose. She wasn't Muirantian, yet she was once possessed by a Muirantian. Perhaps this residual effect had more of an impact than anyone has given credit to."

"You think the other girl will follow the same alternate path because she also survived Kemora's possession?"

Thomas shrugged, but didn't answer. "The last time this alternate fought Kemora she succeeded in containing her." He said. Kimberly raised an eyebrow, but waited for Thomas to continue. "I think that was why Kemora disappeared for a while. I don't think she was hunting Muirantian alternates at all…I don't think she ever made it past the Nemesis Triangle. I think she was contained somewhere in time."

"So you think Kemora will go after this Kimberly when she's done with me?" Kim asked.

"I don't know, but I firmly believe that there are others out there K, others who survived Muirantias; I just haven't found them yet. Perhaps they never developed to become as powerful as you and Kemora and this girl, but it can't be an anomaly to have the three of you develop so similarly." Thomas stopped walking and turned to Kim. "Revet is in charge of this dimension."

"Is he the one who brought her to your attention?"

"No." Thomas said, shaking his head. "This alternate fought Kemora not once, but twice and he never mentioned her; despite the mandate that all sightings of Kemora be brought immediately to my attention."

"Why? I mean he knows what you're researching."

"He never mentioned the anomaly or the similarities of the timelines; not even when it was decided to terminate you." Thomas said coldly and Kim felt a chill go up her spine. "Remember that Kimberly." He said, shocking her to the core that he'd used her real name. Never, ever in their long association had he ever called anything other than Kaycea or K. As far as she knew, he never referred to any of the Kimberlys by name unless he absolutely had to, just simply called them alternates. "Trust no one but your own instincts." He said firmly.

"Not even you?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. She watched his eyes carefully. She could almost always tell what was going on behind his cold masks by looking in his eyes. He was struggling with something. "Especially not me." He said finally.

* * *

"What the hell is that?" Tommy asked coldly, nearly twenty four hours after she had left him to help Thomas. She and Billy were struggling to contain something on the other side of a force field in his lab as alarms sounded and red lights flashed. He'd received a code red on his communicator and woken to an empty bed once again. Trini watched the scene unfold from behind him and he brushed off her hand when it reached out to hold him back to the spot in the doorway where she'd been sent.

"It's a plant infected with the Master Org spores." Kim said, hitting several sequences on the computer panel and finally banging her hand against the consol. Billy was also obviously struggling with something regarding the containment field as even more alarms began to blare from all over the lab. Carri, Rocky, and Jason rushed in behind him but Billy shouted at him to keep them back.

"What the hell is going on?" Tommy demanded, Master Org spores? The Master Org spores had been contained and disposed of years ago; at least that was what Cole had told him. As if summoned by Tommy's thoughts, Cole teleported in and immediately raced over to Kim and Billy.

"It's breaking through every single force field we throw at it." Kim shouted to Cole over the alarms. "It was showing absolutely no signs of sentience until about ten minutes ago when it began disabling the security system."

"It's beginning its final metamorphosis into a fully fledged Org." Billy added, then turned. "For God's sake Tommy, get Trini and the others out of here, we need to seal off the whole lab before it breaks through the last of the security barriers."

"That has got to be the most disgusting thing I've ever seen," Carri said, trying to push her way forward, but Rocky held her back.

"Tommy, Rocky," Billy called swiftly moving over to them and pushing both Trini and Carri back into the hallway and into an approaching Kat Manx. "Help me get Adam out of here. I transported him over after his surgery this morning because the med-bed is better in here. Tanya won't leave him and we had to disable the transporter in case that thing gets out."

"What about Kim and Cole?" Jason asked, pushing his way past the girls.

"They're going to seal the lab off and kill the org." Billy said.

"How?" Carri asked, resenting being pushed even further back. "That thing's pushing past everything you guys are throwing at it."

"Better not to ask." Tommy growled, turning to help Billy as the security wall slid down in front of the girls.

* * *

Joshua Hillard was not a patient man. He was supposed to meet Kim for coffee just in two hours, but he'd risen unusually early and was now pacing back and forth in his sister's townhouse. She'd been ignoring his calls for days and, despite his sister's warnings that his ex-girlfriend was very happy, he had made the long trip out to California only to find out late the previous day that she'd gotten married the day after Thanksgiving. Somehow, that just didn't seem to faze him and he'd badgered his sister constantly to arrange a meeting, finally refusing to sign off on her casting choices until she got Kim to at least have coffee with him.

He wasn't bothered at all by the idea that she'd eloped with another man. Some part of him, somewhere, was a little disappointed and regretful, even angry that she'd tied herself to another man when she'd sworn at their last meeting that she'd never marry anyone. For the most part though, he honestly didn't care. He was certain, once she'd heard him out, that she'd realize her error and nullify the marriage; after all, she'd done it the last time she'd run off and done something stupid like elope. He'd forgive her though, that's what you did when you loved someone. He was a very wealthy man, even without his dad's money, he'd have an army of lawyers working on it that afternoon if he had to.

He flopped down on the sofa, expelling excess energy with a huge exasperated sigh, and ran his fingers through his short hair. Kim was the one who had gotten away. He had worshiped her from start to finish and had been completely ripped apart when she'd called it quits. He had adored her, his parents had adored her, his grandmother had adored her, her parents had adored him…it had been an idyllic situation. True, she'd been a little exasperated when he chose to keep himself occupied with female company on business trips away from her, but she had refused to realize that was what a guy did; anyone who believed otherwise was just deluding themselves… or lying. Her own father should have taught her that. Little liaisons, or friendships, as his dad called them happened all the time. It was no big deal. The serious, long term relationship was what truly mattered.

He loved Kim, respected that she drew a very firm line in the bedroom where his appetites were concerned; and yet he still wanted to be with her. If he hadn't respected her he'd have pressed her to push her comfort zone a little more often. As it was he had totally understood and had been very generous in his understanding; he never once pushed her past the point she'd said no. It was only reasonable then, if he was going to have a serious relationship with one and only one woman, and she wasn't willing to participate in certain things that he needed…well a guy had to get it somewhere; so he'd had a little fun here and there on the side. Playing around wasn't a crime and he'd kept it more than quiet; she hadn't even found out his little ventures until the end.

Josh cursed loudly and threw a small couch pillow at the floor, uncovering a pair of his sister's underwear as well as her shirt and bra in the process. Grinning, he tossed them onto the coffee table with an amused chuckle. His sister might act the prude, but he knew she was anything but. She was his sister and her father's daughter and if anyone should have understood his needs it was Carri, but she'd sided firmly with Kim; despite the arguing the two had done throughout that relationship.

Josh exhaled forcibly again and stood up, swinging his arms as he paced. The sun was barely up and his sister and her boyfriend were still asleep. He didn't know what time Rocky started stirring, but he honestly didn't expect to see Carri before noon at least. Running his hands through his hair one more time, he headed back towards the kitchen. If he still had two hours to wait, then he'd indulge in another cup of coffee.

* * *

"I want answers." Tommy nearly snarled, giving Kim an angry look, but directing the full force of his angst towards Cole. He understood he was slightly over reacting, the situation had already been remedied, the org was dead, but he just didn't care. Despite his loud protests the previous night, Kim was determined to meet Carri's brother, her ex-boyfriend, for coffee; without him. He wanted to strangle that man for coming to California after Kimberly. The only thing that kept him from marching into Carri's condo and pummeling the guy was the fact that he was Carri's brother… and, possibly, just one last shred of common sense that hadn't managed to be poisoned by jealously.

It wasn't like it was their first argument since moving in together, but he was adamant that he didn't want her going alone and she was adamant that this was something she needed to handle without him. In the end, he had actually caved and she had tried to make it up to him, but then he'd been woken from a sound sleep; only to find her gone. Now they were in the small meeting area used by the Red Assembly and he was out for blood; he didn't care who's.

"It's my fault." Cole said, standing up only to have Kim grab a fistful of his shirt and pull him forcefully back down into his chair.

"No it's not. I came to Cole with the idea of infecting the plant." She said evenly, glaring at Tommy to get his temper under control. It didn't help anyone present to have him stalking the small space in front of the chairs; prowling up and down the narrow strip of flooring like a panther choosing which victim it was going to maul to death.

"But it was my proposal to keep it locked in my lab instead of on Muirantias." Billy interjected.

"We couldn't keep an infected plant of Muirantias." Kim stated firmly. "If it had broken loose there and made its way to the power chamber…" She let the rest of her sentence trail off and shook her head, throwing her arms up for emphases. From the other side of the room, Jason humphed loudly and, when she shot him an annoyed looked, he crossed his arms across his chest and lazily rested both his heels on the chair in front of him.

"Why were you infecting a plant to begin with?" Tommy asked firmly.

"For the antidote." Cole said, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"What antidote?" Tommy asked sternly, arms crossed.

"There's a similarity to the virus infecting Teeg's viratrons and the virus-like quality of the Master Org spores that infected Dr. Adler." Kim said in an exasperated tone, even from her seated position facing Tommy down. "It's not a spore, but it behaves like a spore. It's not a virus, but it behaves like a virus. It's an anomaly and yet it's cousin exists in the viratrons."

"The viratrons are orgs?" Jason asked.

"Not exactly." Kim said shaking her head. "But very close. Orgs are a sentient, plant like beings which have a symbiotic relationship with a very strong, aggressive, and I can almost swear sentient, spore like virus infecting their cellular structure. When Adler swallowed the spores, or the virus contained within the spore-like shell of the Master Org plant, it infected a human, a mammal, not another plant; yet it still adapted and infected him. It changed him, very slowly, probably because his cellular structure was so different, until he literally became compatible…morphing in the end into an org-like creature."

"Wait a minute." Carri said, interrupting. "Those spores were out in the jungle for how many thousands of years before Adler found them? Why didn't they just take over the plant life here?"

"Because we don't have sentient plant-life on this planet." Billy answered over his shoulder. "At least none that we consider sentient. It remained in its dormant state until it could find a willing host, theoretically at this point, in the cells of the lining of Adler's intestines."

"That's disgusting." Rocky said and Carri nodded at him; their eyes meeting and giving each other a silent look of horror.

"Disgusting yes." Kim agreed, "But important."

Alder had been a mammalian host just as most of the viratrons started out as human or mammalian prisoners infected by Teeg with a clay-like virus that turned them into sentient, yet completely controllable, drill sergeants for the claybots. Until Kim had made the link between the similarities between the clay virus, as she called it, and the one infecting the Master Org spores, the process of turning a human into a viratron had been irreversible. However, with a lot of help, Kim had been able to make a sort of antidote for the viratrons. The initial trials had been less than successful, but eventually they had been able to synthesize a form of anti-virus that was effective about ten percent of the time in reversing the process; if it was caught quickly enough.

"Only ten percent?" Rocky asked. "That's not very good odds."

"Considering the preliminary stages of their research it's phenomenal." Billy answered, turning to face him. "They've only been compiling data for a few years…research like this spans a lifetime."

"The viratrons don't have a lifetime." Kim muttered angrily. "Teeg doesn't take prisoners, she infects her captives with the clay virus and puts them to work."

"Who do you know that was infected?" Tommy asked, giving her a direct look that said he wanted the answer immediately.

"The scientific team that created the Nova's zords. Those zords are unique and nearly impossible to re-create. Teeg wanted them, so she destroyed the Nova's home base and took all but one of the scientists working on there."

"What happened?" Tommy pressed.

"The Nova's managed to rescue them, if you can call it that. Only one survived the transformation back into a human….but he's…well he's…"

"Effected." Billy answered for her and she nodded, a sadness clouding her eyes.

"We've had much better success since then with the other viratrons we've captured, but it was too late for the scientific team." She said softly. "We thought we'd have more time, that she'd try to torture them and extract their knowledge, get them to build zords for her, but she didn't wait. They we infected almost immediately."

"Well she's not fighting with those kind of zords, so she obviously didn't get very much information out of them." Jason offered when a cold silence descended on the group.

"We don't know how far Teeg got or not." Kim said angrily. "She hasn't formed her Ranger team yet."

Another silence settled over those assembled in the conference room as everyone absorbed that information. The Nova's zords were far more powerful than the zords the Zeo team commanded, they would be completely out gunned; especially since Elemi had told them his team would be out of commission for several weeks, if not months. All of them knew that Teeg had obtained her third power coin and would most likely begin to utilize them to her advantage. The question was when, not if, she'd attack next.

"Why allow an infected plant to become a Master Org?" Tommy asked at last. Cole and Kim looked at each other hesitantly, then finally Kim looked at Tommy.

"There's more than one answer to that." She said honestly.

"Mostly, we wanted to see if the antidote, or the antivirus, would work on the Mater Org spores if they ever infected another sentient creature. So Billy obtained and imported a set of sentient plants that the orgs actually admit a kinsmanship to, they call them their little cousins, and we allowed the spore pods free access to them."

"And it didn't work; you got a Master Org." Carri offered drolly.

"Actually, the plants given the antivirus continue to show no sign of infection." Billy offered eagerly. "It was the plant that was allowed to become infected and then given the antivirus that continued to develop…but at a much slower rate given the predisposition of the plant to mutate and succumb to that form of infection. On the whole, I'd say the entire phase of this part of the experiment was a brilliant success."

"But we still don't have a way to defeat the Master Org." Cole said in a frustrated tone.

"All of this is really interesting." Jason interjected, removing his feet from the back of the chair and sitting forward a little. "Aside from all the ethical questions I have screaming through my head right now about infecting a sentient creature with a killer virus to see what happens, but that's for another discussion…aside from helping Wild Force out on what's ostensibly a closed mission, why are you pursuing this? I get that your friends were infected with the viratron virus and there's some sort of link here, but why, in the middle of a current campaign against Rita and Zedd are we risking another Master Org? It sounds to me like you two have a lot more research to do before you start making those kind of leaps."

"Because Princess Shayla woke up the minute Teeg used her virus to form the viratrons." Cole said simply.

"What do you mean she woke up?" Tommy asked, the surprise showing through on his face. Cole looked up at him and shrugged.

"She woke up. We don't know why, she just did. As far as we can tell, she's not needed, the battles have all been millions of miles away…well, except for the time Teeg came here…but then she left again and the Princess is still awake, so…" Cole shrugged his shoulders and looked at Kim, who seemed to be pondering something quietly to herself.

"You wanna let me in on this little mystery?" Tommy asked, coming to stand directly in front of her chair. He knew that look of hers, she knew something and hadn't bothered to tell him…yet.

"I don't know for sure." She said, looking up at him. "I have a theory, but that's all it is."

"Then share." Tommy insisted snidely. She gave him a hard look to let him know she was annoyed, then brushed it off.

"The viratrons are somehow related to the orgs; distantly, but there's a kinship. The antidote works as an immunization, sort of, to the plants known to be preferential to the Master Org spore pods. I _think_…" She paused and looked at everyone. "I _think_, I don't know, but if I can form a link between the viratrons, who were originally created by the Demon King, and the Master Org, then there's a good chance I can draw a link between the Master Org spores and the virus that infects the Demon King."

"The what?" Rocky and Jason asked together, but Tommy's hands had come up to his face and he threw his head back as if realizing something incredibly unpleasant.

"The Demon King begins life as a sentient virus." Kim explained. "That's not the right word for it, but I've only come across one or two other references that are a little closer and they're both in languages that are way too impossible to pronounce for humans." She paused again and worked her jaw as if re-living years of frustrations and research. "Ten thousand years ago Zordon thought he and his friends had destroyed the Demon King only to discover that the his biological son, a Ranger and warrior sworn to destroy his father, had taken his place. It was then that Zordon realized the Demon King was actually some kind of sembiot. It infects it's hosts and takes over the body, eventually infecting or eating away the original host cell by cell and morphing into its own creature…that's exactly what happened to Adler. I think I can draw a weak link here. I think the Master Org virus/spore … whatever it is… is possibly a stray mutant form of the Demon King virus…much weaker…" She continued as those around her erupted with sounds and questions all at once. "I honestly think it's a stray… a weaker form that somehow mutated and survived… and Billy will tell you that's possible… but if it is, maybe we can find a way to kill it before it infects its next host."

"So that's why you were trying to find an antidote." Tommy said evenly and Kim nodded. "But why is Princess Shayla awake?"

"It's got to have something to do with the similarities between the viruses. I think the princess wakes up anytime the virus, in the form of a Master Org because a simple org isn't enough to release her, is found to be active again. The Demon King is ten thousand times more powerful than a Master Org." She explained, pausing for emphasis. "I think, if his containment orb is cracked wide enough for Teeg to get through, then maybe it's enough to trigger the alarms that wake Princess Shayla up from stasis." She paused again and shrugged her shoulders, looking around the room. "I mean, Animus was one of the warriors who fought the Demon King before. He brought the wild zords to Earth six thousand years ago at Zordon's request because the orgs migrated here… it makes sense to me, but it's just a theory."

"The orgs are my fight." Cole said simply, standing up. "But if the Demon King is related to the orgs or if Earth is threatened, then that makes your fight mine as well." He turned to Tommy seriously, "I have to go. I've already been given another mission and by being here I'm neglecting that assignment."

Tommy nodded his understanding, silently giving Cole his permission to leave, but before he did, the Wild Force red turned to Kim. "I'll be ready when you need me." He said with a seriousness that took her aback, then turned and left the room.

"What was that about?" Tommy asked Kim, his humor degrading again.

"I have no idea." She said simply, the look on her face telling him she was as baffled as anyone. "It's Cole..." She said shrugging. "Either the life on the planet is ending immediately or there's a cocker spaniel being used to test human shampoo…it's all the same to him."

Tommy rolled his eyes, the lack of humor plain on his face. This day just wasn't going to get any better.

* * *

Josh left Carri's apartment early. He just couldn't stand being trapped inside any longer. Writing her a quick note, he closed and locked the door behind him, then hurried down the steps and opened the door to his rental car. There was a park across from the coffee shop where he was meeting Kim, he'd go for a walk and burn off some of his excess energy. Smiling to himself, he pulled out of the visitor parking and turned onto the main road.

* * *

"So Mr. Perky over there seems to be in a good mood this morning." Carri said sarcastically to Kim, nodding her head in Tommy's direction as Kim stood up and stretched. "What's up with him?"

"I'm having coffee with your brother this morning." Kim said simply. "Without him."

"Well, excuse me, of course he's not going. Doesn't he get that?" Carri asked, but Kim only rolled her eyes. "He's really gonna stay away from Josh right?" She asked in a concerned voice. The last thing she wanted was for Kim's jealous boyfriend- turned- husband to pound her brother. Josh was a big guy and could take care of himself, but going up against Oliver when he was pissed was a completely different story; even she wasn't stupid enough to do that.

"Hopefully." Kim answered, turning and walking towards the door of the assembly room. "But I wouldn't put it past him to spy on me through the viewing globe in the Command Center. He's totally over reacting….You hanging around here or going home?"

"Going home. Josh thinks I'm still asleep. Then I've got a meeting to get to this afternoon."

"Sorry to get you up so early." Kim said, referring to the red alert her plant had caused.

"Not that I don't appreciate the wakeup call…" She said sarcastically, chuckling a little. "But…"

"I get it, I get it…" Kim answered waving her away over her shoulder as she walked the opposite way down the hall. "See ya."

"Hey…" Carri called back to her and Kim turned around.

"Don't be too mean to Josh." She said. "I know he can be a real pain in the ass, but he's my brother…and I love him a lot."

"I promise to be very firm, but not cruel." Kim answered and Carri shot her a half smile.

As Kim turned around again her thoughts drifted back to Carri's brother and she allowed herself, for the first time since he'd called her, to think about their past relationship and what it had meant to her. Like any long term relationship gone bust, there were a lot of wonderful parts to it and many not so wonderful things as well.

She had genuinely loved him and had cried heavily for days after it was over, but she'd never once doubted that she had made the right choice. It had still been painful to let him go and she'd remained depressed for months.

Josh had come along at the perfect time. She'd been incredibly lonely and he was very charming company. He'd been handsome, rich, successful, mature, and he'd adored her. She hadn't loved him the way she had loved Tommy, but it had definitely been the same sort of intense energy between them. Not only had the sex been fabulous, but they had been able to talk about almost everything. Unfortunately, almost everything hadn't included the Rangers and, unlike most retirees, the Rangers had come calling again; then dominated her life to exclusion of everything else.

She sighed deeply. They'd been apart so long that she'd forgotten about the other things too. The sex had been completely intoxicating; she'd never known the possibilities of what could exist between two willing partners before. She and Tommy had been so young, they'd had fun and it had been overwhelming emotionally at times, but they hadn't really been mature enough to really know the extent of what they could have together. Josh had opened her eyes to a whole new realm of possibilities she'd been too shy and too young to explore before; things her current relationship was definitely benefiting from. Unfortunately, it had never been enough for him. He'd always wanted more; more frequency, more daring…just more. When she hadn't been able to satisfy him he'd gone elsewhere and that had hurt like nothing else she'd ever experienced. He'd blown it off as nothing, the other women weren't anything serious, just toys…but it hadn't been fun for her at all.

Still, she didn't regret it for an instant. Josh's ardor had prepared her for Elemi's intensity. Her ex-husband would have scared her to death had it not been for her interim with Carri's brother. He had been as fierce in his bed-sport as Josh had been wild and carefree. Without her relationship with Josh Hillard to season her to the other side of male appetites, Elemi's lust would have shocked and frightened her. Instead, she had been able to weather that storm and eventually tame him to a quieter appreciation of lovemaking. Both experiences had prepared her for a second chance with Tommy, who had also grown and developed a different style of love-play from their teen years. He had been thrilled to discover she had a bit of a wild side now and she had melted into his gentle worship of her. She knew now that she had the best man for her tastes, but explaining it was harder than she'd thought it would be…and she honestly thought it better to remain unsaid.

Her thoughts drifted back to Josh and the more subtle and more complicated problems that relationship had endured. He'd insisted on taking care of her to the extent that it left her feeling more indebted than grateful. It had honestly been fun for a while and she really did love being spoiled, but it had worn thin towards the end. Plus there was the added spoiler that, anytime there was a disagreement, he'd throw out how much he was doing for her and make her feel horribly guilty for contradicting him. That kind of power didn't sit well with someone who'd been taught to make up her own mind. She understood that was how his dad handled his mom, but she didn't want that kind of subjugated life.

Tommy tended to be just as overriding, she thought ruefully, but he came at it differently. He listened and honestly made her feel like he understood her point of view, often giving way on many concessions, but he still wanted his way all the time and would wiggle around from different angles until he got her to cave; but Tommy never made her feel beholden. If anything, he forced her to stand up and take charge. Yet still, somehow, he'd always managed to win her over to his point of view without her ever really realizing how it happened. It was the same effect, just a different approach.

She really didn't want to compare the two, she decided mentally, shaking her head a bit to clear it, but she needed to somehow make Josh understand how she was honestly better with Tommy. She had loved him almost all her life. True, that love had changed dramatically over the years. She wasn't really as giddy about him as she was in high school. Sometimes, it would come in little spurts and those old butterfly feelings would whisper back, but mostly it was as if it was an entirely new relationship. They were different people she realized. Neither was as carefree as they'd been as kids and both were far more intense because of the lives they had led. That intensity had carried over into their relationship.

One thing hadn't changed though; he made her feel safe. That had been a rare feeling for more years than she wanted to count. There was an easiness, a contentment, that she hadn't known for a very long time. She liked herself when she was with him and fell asleep far easier and far more soundly knowing he was next to her or in the other room working. She was deeply in love with him and that love showed through in the form of a trust that she hadn't found in any other man.

That secure feeling was completely unique to him. She knew he didn't entirely feel the same way and that saddened her a little. He loved her with an intensity that sometimes blinded her, but he didn't completely trust her. She knew it because of that odd bond between them. It was those briefest of seconds shared when their powers and abilities combined and she could feel everything going on inside him without reservations or hesitancy. As much as she relished those moments, he didn't at all and steered clear of them anytime he could anticipate them. He didn't like that closeness, didn't like the lack of control he felt, and that was the one and only wall he kept between them. She never pushed him on it, but she hoped, in time, maybe he'd embrace that part of their love too.

She shook herself free of her musings and tried to focus more clearly on what she had to tell Josh. She'd been rehearsing things to say nearly all night, but none of them seemed to be the right thing to say. What did you say to an ex that wanted you back even though you were married? You told him you were married and in love and to go home; that's what you told him. Somehow, she didn't think that would work on Josh. She hadn't heard from him in more than two years and knew damn well the only reason he wanted her so badly now was because Tommy had her. But how did she make Josh see that? She didn't have much more time to wonder as her thoughts were cut short by an urgent, high pitched squeal from her wrist.

"What's that noise?" Tommy asked, coming up from behind.

She jumped, not expecting him and quickly looked around the hall. Seeing no one else, she jerked her wrist in a tight, counter clockwise motion, revealing her gold, power coin from Phaedos. "Go ahead." She said into the thin band, effectively silencing the tiny chirping crystals surrounding the coin.

"Kimberly?" A voice asked.

"Who is this?" Kim asked, a deep frown on her face, eyes darting up to Tommy's in wary surprise.

"It's Nick, Leanbow's son, we met at the Red Assembly."

"How did you get this frequency and why are you calling a red alert?" Kim responded more sternly than Tommy had ever heard her. She looked and sounded every inch the red leader and for a moment he smiled at her in both amusement and approval.

"I don't have time to explain." Nick's voice said hurriedly. "Leanbow told me how to contact you, we have a huge problem and you need to come to the Mystic Realm immediately."

"The Mystic Mother doesn't approve of my journeying too much into the Mystic Realm and I'm forbidden from interfering with anything that doesn't directly affect the surface world."

"That's just it." Nick's voice responded, sounding almost panicky. "The Mystic Mother is gone…she's been forcibly taken out of the Mystic Realm and we don't know by whom."

Kim's eyes met Tommy's once again, both of them simultaneously experiencing the same sinking feeling. "I'll be right there." Kim said with more calm than she felt. Ending the transmission and, without ever breaking eye contact, she said. "I think Teeg's just made her second move."

* * *

"So I'm totally taking you out to celebrate." Kira said enthusiastically. "Is there any place around here that has good coffee?"

"Yeah, there's a place over by the park that Dr. O goes to." Conner said, grinning at the way she was jumping around. Kira wasn't much on public displays of emotion and it was kind of cute the way she was animatedly whirling around the apartment.

"Fabulous! Maybe we'll run into him and I can tell him the good news too."

"Are you sure you want to do this show? I mean, it sounds like a lot of work for what they're gonna pay you." He asked.

"Are you kidding? Nobody's ever paid me this much before. Come to think of it, I don't think anyone's ever paid me just to travel around and be me….I'm gonna travel!" She all but squealed, causing him to outright laugh at her antics as she spun around, manila information folder in hand. "I'm gonna see the whole damn world…and they're gonna _pay_ me for it!"

"I think there's gonna be a lot more to it than that." He said evenly, but he was still grinning.

"Hey, I'm employed." She said, sounding a lot more like the practical girl she was. "I'll deal with the rest tomorrow."

"Alright then." He answered, glad to see the depression had finally lifted from his friend. "Let's go get that coffee and have a short celebration. I have to be at work pretty soon."

"Work…" She said in a far too perky voice. "I just love the sound of that word."

* * *

"If you'll just give me two seconds." Andros said to Zane, grabbing his jacket and kissing his wife's cheek; she waved at him absently from her drawing table, completely absorbed in her work. He turned around and put his jacket on, nodding at his friend to follow him out the door. "I just want to stop and get some coffee before we drive out there."

"What's wrong with the coffee on base?" Zane asked. He'd spent the night on his friend's couch and absently worked at the stiff muscles in his neck. He hadn't meant to spend the whole night, but the evening had been fun and he'd gotten a little too imbibed to drive back. Andros made a face at him. "What?" He asked.

"The coffee on base sucks it what." Andros said, revolted look still in place.

"You're such a snob." Zane teased. "You never even had coffee before you came here, now you want to make a special stop to get one particular kind?"

"I am not a snob and I will not be ridiculed because I like a local drink that happens to make me think and function better at my work."

"So how long is this little stop going to take?" Zane asked patiently, climbing into the passenger side of the car.

"Only a few minutes." Andros assured as he strapped his seatbelt on and motioned for his friend to do the same. "Unless the lines are really long."

"Fine." Zane answered in an oppressed tone, rolling his eyes. He wondered briefly if his friend realized just how much he'd adapted to his wife's culture.

* * *

Angel Grove's most popular coffee shop was exactly that; very popular on a very early Monday morning. It was really no more than a little utility shack, formerly used by the Park Authority to store supplies on the edge of the ninety-five acre park and then abandoned when a bigger facility had been built a few years before. The shack, in disrepair and nearly falling down, had been taken over by some very enterprising young adults, with the permission of its owner, and turned into a neuvo-shabby-chic café bar; complete with a few plastic lawn tables for its patrons to enjoy.

This particular morning, the line stretched well down the sidewalk as the busy vendors serviced the steady stream of commuters and holiday shoppers. The shack was decked out in multiple strands of gaudy lights, holiday music played from a small CD player on the counter, and although impatient, its patrons methodically stepped forward one pace at a time for their favorite beverage.

"I'm gonna be so late for work." Conner mumbled as they took one tiny step closer to the counter.

"We're almost there now." Kira observed. "If you have to go, you should go. My plane back to New York doesn't leave until late tonight, I can take you out later."

"It's ok, you don't have to take me out." He answered.

"Are you serious?" Kira asked in mocked astonishment. "You've put me up and fed me for how many nights? I seriously owe you and, now that I have a job, my mom agreed to put some extra money in my account until I can pay her back."

"It's fine, really." He assured her. "I actually enjoyed the company." He said and then, at her surprised look added, "But I'll totally deny it if you tell anyone I said it."

Kira laughed and started to say something back to him, but she was cut off as a large rumbling shook them and the other patrons to the ground.

"That didn't feel much like a real earthquake." Kira commented as Conner helped her stand back up. His communicator chirped loudly and she glanced at him in surprise before both were tossed back to the ground by a second, more forceful jolt. "That was definitely more monster like." She said, rubbing her elbow as the patrons scattered at full run and the coffee bar quickly shut its window.

"Conner!" A voice called from the crowd. He looked up to see Andros and another man trotting towards him. "An emergency Assembly's been called by Tommy, you might want to take your friend home." He said, nodding at Kira, "Angel Grove Park is nowhere to be during an attack."

"She's Ranger family." Conner responded, accepting a hand up from the sidewalk where he'd fallen. "This is Kira, she was a yellow on the Dino Thunder team."

Andros nodded at the girl as Zane helped her up and then introduced themselves to her.

"Shouldn't we try to help?" Kira suggested, but Andros shook his head no.

"Let the local team handle things, that's their job." He said. Then, at her hesitant look, he added gently, "It's always hard to stay out of the fight once you've worn the uniform, but it's better this way, they have the morphers, it's their turn."

The three men turned and began to move toward Andros's car, but Kira remained behind, turning and squinting to see several figures transport and run past the closed coffee shack and towards the center of the disturbance.

"Xander!" She called out and the figures stopped and turned towards her just as the other three stopped and turned to see who she was calling out to.

"Kira!" Xander called, and broke away from the group, trotting over to give her a quick hug. "Am I glad to see you. Does your morpher still work?" He asked with a look between deadly serious and extremely hopeful.

"I guess so." She responded. "I haven't tried it in a few months."

"What do you mean does her morpher still work?" Conner asked, coming up from behind her and giving Xander an almost angry look. Xander backed up a step, more amused than threatened and Kira quickly introduced her group before Xander introduced the Mystic Rangers.

"The Mystic Mother, the current source of our powers has been taken." Xander explained quickly as his companions nodded. "We traced the people we think are responsible here, but I'm the only one who's morpher works. I think it has something to do with the way the Sentinel Knight re-charged it."

"We need to let the current Angel Grove team handle this." Andros interjected seriously. "They're very experienced and this is their turf."

"But that's just it." Nick interrupted. "Tommy and Kimberly just left Briarwood, their morphers don't work either."

"What?" Conner, Andros, and Zane asked together.

"They don't work." Nick confirmed. "Someone named Billy and Manx said their crystals have caught a virus?" He looked curiously at the other Rangers, silently asking if any of them had heard of it, but they simply stared back in astonishment.

"That's got to be why Tommy called an Assembly." Andros said for lack of a better answer. "We'd better get there." He added, placing an arm on Conner's shoulder.

"Wait." Conner said, shaking off the shoulder and turning toward Kira. "You're morpher works?"

"It's a long story. I told you I went and helped out some friends." Kira answered as the ground shook again. "Look, it works and Angel Grove is apparently short on Rangers." She turned to Xander. "We should go help."

"I'm with you." He answered, with a nod of his head.

"I don't think either of you are going anywhere." A firm, female voice said from the other side of the concrete walkway.

"Kimberly?" Nick asked, frowning deeply at the black leather clad figure haughtily staring them down. "But you…"

"That's not Kimberly." Andros said cautiously, putting his arms out and backing the group up and away from the woman. "It's.."

"Perceptive of you." Kemora answered nastily. "Teeg said to scan for morphanological energy signatures, but I don't think she had you lot in mind. Still… a Ranger is a Ranger and if I need three it's better to fish from a trapped pool than a wide ocean." She lazily held her hand up and a large red ball of energy spun upwards from it. "Who's first?" She asked herself aloud, then cackled as the group in front of her simultaneously jumped into a defensive ready stance. "I need a green and a yellow…I think we should go with the ones with the highest energy readings… besides, I've always hated blonds."

Like a picture on a mound, she drew back and thrust the glowing ball towards the crowd of retired Rangers. Zane saw the energy ball head toward Kira and reacted without thinking. He turned and lunged for her, trying to knock her out of the way, but the ball was deceptively fast. Both were engulfed by the red light and disappeared in an instant. The Rangers screamed their protests, but Kemora simply cackled happily.

"A two-fer." She crowed, congratulating herself dramatically. "Well what do you know?"

At that moment, Josh walked out from behind the other side of the coffee bar. He'd grabbed a table earlier and ducked under it when he felt the earthquakes, watching, stunned, as the huge crowd dispersed in a matter of seconds. He'd heard of Angel Grove's monster attacks, even seen them on TV, but he never thought he'd be caught up in one. He thought he heard voices on the other side of the now deserted coffee shack, but he honestly wasn't sure if he should come out from under the table. He'd never asked his sister what to do in the event of a monster attack and had decided, like in a real earthquake, maybe he should just stay put. But then he thought he'd heard Kim's voice, followed by a loud bang and several angry screams and began to panic. Kim was supposed to meet him there …what if she'd stayed behind to find him?

"Kimberly?" He asked, stunned to see the woman in black leather. She turned to him, ignoring the other Rangers for a moment, eyes blazing red.

"You're not Kimberly." He said softly, frozen to his spot.

"My aren't we an observant group this morning." Kemora snarled, taking a few steps in his direction. "And just how do you know Kimberly sweetheart?" She cooed evilly.

"What do you mean how do I know Kimberly?"

"Answer me." Kemora hissed, her voice taking on an eerie, unnatural quality. Josh froze as if he were being held within a force field. He didn't want to answer, knew he shouldn't answer, but he couldn't help it, it was as if he were being commanded to tell the truth.

"I've loved her for years, I want to marry her." He said numbly.

"Run!" Several of the people behind her were urging him, but he was frozen where he stood, confused and completely at the demon's mercy.

"Leave him alone!" Carri screamed from where she'd transported in. She ran towards them and stopped just shy of the demon; Kim and Tommy hot on her heels. Kemora rolled her eyes and cackled.

"Leave him alone Kemora, he's a civilian and of no use to you." Kim said, moving out from behind Carri and trying to hopefully keep her from doing something stupid in an effort to save her brother.

"My my, a real Ranger reunion going on this afternoon." Kemora said snidely. "I wonder what I do next? Do I splurge and take the greatest Ranger of all, do I take my enemy's best friend, or do I take the one who loves my enemy?" She paused, giving Kim a look that chilled her. "Eeeny…" She said slowly, wickedly, "Meany…." She said, red glowing ball forming in her hands as she spun in a lazy circle. "Miney…" She looked Kimberly directly in the eyes and then turned sharply, throwing the glowing ball directly at Josh. "Moe." She finished bluntly, slowly turning back around to see Kimberly's reaction as Josh disappeared in a burst of red light. A wicked triumph lit her red demon eyes and she cackled fiercely.

Carri screamed and lunged forward at Kemora, but Kim held her firmly, wrestling her nearly to the ground. Eventually, Carri broke free, just as Kemora disappeared in a flash of red light. What neither of the girls saw was Teeg's approach as Kemora vanished, but Tommy did. He saw the look in Teeg's eyes, like a tiger stealthily stalking its prey. Kim had her back to her as Carri broke free, screaming towards the empty space where her brother had once stood.

The next few seconds drug by in slow motion. Tommy saw the white containment orb appear in Teeg's hand, saw the villain move into position, saw the evil gleam of conquest in her eyes. He turned his head to Kim, who had lunged after Carri. There was no time to yell, no time to warn her, instead he sprang forward, knocking her in a tackle that sent her flying onto the concrete sidewalk just as the white light enveloped him. In an instant, he was encircled within the glowing beam and was gone.

For a few seconds no one moved. All stared at the space that Tommy had once occupied. Even Teeg seemed surprised by the turn of events. Then the villain laughed, a harsh, cruel, biting laugh that left everyone present frozen to their very cores. Kimberly began to scream. At first it was a high pitched wail, slowly sounding out Tommy's name, then it altered into a an angry, harsh cry of anguish.

"It's me you want." She screamed, rising from the pavement and stumbling towards Teeg. "Release him and take me. I'm the prize, not a human male who's worthless to you."

"I…don't…think…so." Teeg purred slowly. "I think this little boy has a far greater value to me than you would let me believe." She said, holding up the orb resting comfortably upon her palm. "As long as I have him, you'll behave…if you don't, I'll allow him to die from the cold and lack of oxygen. After that, I'll have the notoriety of having killed off Zordon's greatest Ranger." She looked within to see Tommy glaring at her. He didn't fight, didn't beg, didn't demand his release, just glared at her in defiance. "Yes, I do believe…" Teeg purred, "That his eventual death at my hands will be far more painful to you than any confinement." She paused and gave Kimberly a cruel look. "What will you do now little girl? The Nova's can't help you, the one calling herself the Mystic Mother is lost to you, even now my armies have landed on Phaedos and Eltar." She paused and held out her other hand, a small stick which looked suspiciously like Lerigot's wand appeared within her grasp. "Lerigot is also gone and within moments," She continued in a silky tone, "I shall send Kemora through the Nemesis Triangle to Muirantias." She hummed slightly, not a purr, but a definite coo of pleasure. "The Zeo crystal has been sufficiently contaminated for the foreseeable future, and your lover is…well he's about to be completely frozen unless you give up the fight, isn't he? The orbs were not designed for humans… if you fight back, I'll make sure he dies before you can rescue him." She paused as the purring rumble in her chest threatened to obscure her words. "What will you do little girl child of Zordon?" She crooned. "Who will you save, for you can't save everyone. Will you aid Phaedos or Eltar…I think not, for they're well defended, but they certainly can't aid you, can they? Will it be your Muirantian temple of power? Perhaps the poor, pathetic reformed Rita? Your lover? Or perhaps," And she laughed now, a full, hearty, victorious laugh. "Your world?"

As she spoke the Earth rumbled again, knocking all but Kim and Teeg to the ground. A red glow began to envelope Kimberly and she raised herself a good two or three feet in the air above the shaking and splitting ground. Anger consumed her, not fear. Anger and grief. Teeg was right, the orb wasn't designed to store humans. It was designed to confined those who would live on after their mortal shells had been destroyed. It cared little for preserving the flesh, it simply held the spirit. But what Teeg didn't know was how powerful Tommy actually was. Years of morphers had altered his body, strengthened his spirit. He was Zordon's true heir and stood just as good a chance as any of survival; with or without his body.

"You're beaten little one." Teeg purred. "Admit it and let's be done with this nonsense. Give me the remaining coins and I'll allow your world to live. As for you, I'll allow you to join your lover."

"Never." Kimberly spat, eyes blazing red defiance as Muirantian energy crackled around her.

"Have it your way." Teeg answered lazily. As she spoke the ground rumbled harder and the coffee shack collapsed in a cloud of dust and debris behind the small group of Rangers. All around them trees shook and buildings swayed and a thunderous noise blocked all sounds. There was a mighty cracking and popping and the Rangers assembled, except for Kimberly in her orb of red light, covered their ears and howled in pain from the intensity of it.

Teeg seemed unaffected. She lazily toyed with the little shape of a man within the orb. If she thought to get a reaction out of him, she was disappointed. He seemed to understand the situation he was in. He had assumed a meditative pose and closed his eyes, waiting for the sleep to take him. She sighed heavily and regarded the chaos around her. In the not so far distance Kimberly watched in horror as a black tower rose to its final and imposing height.

"You won't win." Kimberly said defiantly. "I already know how to defeat you."

"Hand over the coins girl and save your people the slow death you know is coming."

"Never!" Kim screeched insolently. "You can't win like this Teeg. Brute force will only strengthen our resolve."

"Never underestimate the power of shadow… demon's daughter!" Teeg hissed, her patience depleted.

"Bring it on." Kimberly answered boldly, her voice deep and strong despite the fact that she was shaking to her very soul.

"So be it." Teeg answered evenly. In a flash, both she and the orb were gone.

Slowly, the Rangers rose from the ground and approached Kimberly who, threat gone, had floated back down to the surface. She stared numbly at the space where Teeg had been, as if only now realizing that Tommy was also gone. A grief and loss more powerful than she had ever thought possible enveloped her, drowning her as harshly and effectively a tidal wave. She dropped to the ground and screamed, long and hard and over and over again. The others watched her pound her fists against the ground bleakly, not knowing what to do. Finally, Carri bent down and reached out to her, but even as she stretched out her hand, Kim disappeared in a flash of red light.

In the distance, the black tower loomed eerily and Carri's thoughts were driven back to the doomed world she had so recently closed out at the DG's request. Even as she stood there, the dark clouds and odd lightening, so characteristic of the tower's effect on the atmosphere began to darken and charge through the sky.


	17. Chapter 17: Facing Armageddon

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 17: Facing Armageddon

In Chapter 17: Kim's home dimension has been sacrificed to the evil empire because of Thomas's intervention in saving her life...but that's the least of her worries.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White. Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

_**All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

* * *

For the first time in a very long time, Kim transported herself out without a clear idea of exactly where she was going. There was no pain, no grief, just an overwhelming sense that the impossible had happened. She refused to register it, refused to accept what was happening around her, refused to acknowledge that things had turned so quickly to the impossible. If she denied it, it wasn't true and she simply could not face the idea that the last thirty seconds of her life had actually occurred. 

She landed near the old foundation of her grandfather's house. It was a reflex. The house had become home. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she realized that she was extremely lucky. She could have gone anywhere, any when, but she had returned to the place of her last happy moment with Tommy. She stared at the side of the house, now moved to its new foundation, and at last the numbness began to recede and the overwhelming pain of loss crawl slowly through her consciousness.

Reality didn't crush her suddenly, it poured through all her senses like boiling oil. Just as destructive in its damage, but far more torturous and painful than any physical wound she'd ever suffered. Teeg had Tommy. He wouldn't survive. The guardian in her knew that cold reality and refused to allow her consciousness to believe otherwise. The orbs were not designed for humans. Tommy had speculated that the combinations of his morphers, the black dino gem bonding with his DNA, his encasement in amber, and everything else he'd experienced in his short tenure as Zordon's heir, had altered his human genome nearly as much as the Muirantian Pit of Eternal Fire had altered her and Jason. Now his only hope lay in the possibility that he was right. A human would survive no more than a few minutes, a morphed Ranger possibly a little longer, but Tommy on his own? Only the Great Power itself knew for sure and Kimberly's connection to it now was seriously hampered by the very real human grief and despair pouring through her.

She collapsed to the ground and sobbed in huge wailing, spasmodic gasps. Dimly, she was aware of the old grid reaching out to question her, but she shut it away from her mind. It wouldn't understand, couldn't understand. It viewed death as no more than a mortal release. Greif was a useless and wasteful emotion to it.

Numbly, her eyes focused on what her mind refused to; the huge black tower looming down upon Angel Grove and the surrounding communities. It was taller than any building ever built on Earth and a thousand times more indestructible. It was a specialty of Teeg's. Not only was it a manufacturing plant for hundreds of thousands of claybots, it would begin to destroy every natural resource in the area…and she knew from experience that thousands of them would have sprung up all over the Earth's surface; heating the atmosphere to boiling and killing all life on her planet. Every blue world she'd ever closed out, at least where Teeg was involved, and Teeg appeared everywhere Kemora did, eventually suffered the fate of those towers.

Slowly, agonizingly, the guardian in her took control of her senses; refusing to allow her to be consumed with the numbness she so desperately wanted to retreat into. Something wasn't right. She was new, in the scheme of things, to interdimensional travel and corrections, but one thing was certain, she knew her home timeline. The towers only appeared when the Kimberly died early; either on Muirantias or by Kemora's possession. She had survived, and therefore, so should her world.

What had happened, had happened far too quickly to be considered a natural shift. Something had been artificially altered. Methodically, cell by cell, the numbness was replaced with cold, hard anger. Anger was a good thing at this point, it kept the despair at bay. No one had ever successfully defeated this kind of attack, but she wasn't just anyone. She had an edge that none of her alternates had; she had only to fully embrace it as Kemora had. She wasn't afraid, the insecurity and terrors she'd held at bay for a decade died the moment she accepted that Tommy was gone. She would never be allowed to live as a normal human ever again; her world would die if she continued to cling to that dream. She was ready now, angry enough now, to embrace the unthinkable.

Her mind drifted to Tommy and their short time together, to her family, to her friends and to her world in general. Then her eyes focused on the tower and all that it represented, all that she knew would happen if she didn't relinquish what was no longer hers. Anything and everything that had been mortal in Kimberly, the last little cling to her humanity, died in that instant.

Someone had interfered with and was attempting to kill her world, the only life that afforded her the tiniest amount of peace and security. She would not allow it. As she stared at the black tower overshadowing all she loved and held dear, she willingly released all that had bound her to her old life and openly embraced the raw power of the Muirantian pit that she had held at bay for more than ten years.

As the energies she had fought for so long surged through her like an arching live wire, she was at last, fully and for all time, Maligore's daughter. Far away, across the Nemesis Triangle, in the tiny temple of power that had been created on her last visit, the cold stone statue eyes of the guardian phoenix flared to life.

* * *

When Carri and Jason returned to the Command Center all chaos had broken lose. Alarms were blaring and Rocky, Adam, and Tonya were trying desperately to help Billy track the transport beam that had taken Teeg away and make sense of the unfathomable sensor readings on the black towers. 

"I don't get it." Rocky said, shaking his head. "According to this, the temperature across the globe has risen five degrees Celsius in a matter of minutes…that's huge…it can't be right."

"It's right." Carri said slowly, walking in to join her friends. Rocky swung around to say something, then paused. Never, since he'd met her, had he ever seen the beaten looks that both his girlfriend and Jason carried. The air of defeat hung so heavily around them both that everyone in the Command Center paused and turned to them.

Carri stared back at the man she loved with a sad air of resignation. He would fight until the end, just as his alternate had done on the blue world she'd helped to close out only a few days before. He would fight, they all would, and they would die. Both she and Jason knew with heavy hearts the outcome the towers meant. As she looked into his eyes, she had the briefest thought that she was glad to have loved him, if only for a short time. At least the end would come quickly; it always did.

"There's nothing that can be done." She said simply, the fight simply drained from her. "The towers are manufacturing plants for the claybots, they'll drain the area of its natural resources and heat the atmosphere until all life on the planet simply burns or boils away."

"Then we have to stop them." Adam said firmly. He had refused to obey Billy's orders to stay in the medical bed. Fresh from surgery, he might not be able to fight or even walk for short distances, but he could still think and he could still sit behind a control panel. Carri simply nodded at him, as if she knew he would give that answer.

"What's going on?" Rocky asked, surprised and unsure why his friends were behaving so strangely. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Teeg or Kemora had effected them somehow. Perhaps they were under a spell or maybe they were hurt worse than the scanners had indicated. They had raced out to fight the monster with only their Ninjetti powers; perhaps they had been knocked around more than anyone in the Command Center had realized.

"The towers spell the end of a world." Jason said simply. "Kim, Carri, and I have fought them more than once, there's really no good outcome to be considered." He said in such a defeated tone that the others simply stared at him.

"The fight's not over." Rocky growled at them, taking a step forward and clenching his fists. He was getting angry, the battle had only begun and his friends were acting as if the whole war was lost already. "We can do this. We're the Power Rangers."

Carri and Jason glanced at each other and nodded, as if both were acknowledging the reaction of their comrades as the normal course of things, but also as if both knew there was little to be done.

"If you've encountered these devices before." Billy said brusquely, also angered by his friends reactions, "Then let's begin by briefing the team on what they are, what their capabilities are, and what strategies have already proven unsuccessful."

Jason nodded and reached hand out to gently steer Carri forward. She moved numbly and with little energy. When she sat down next to Rocky, she gently took his hand and he half marveled at the lack of strength in her grasp. It scared him and when he looked up at Jason, his friend refused to meet his eyes. A wave of terror poured over him. Carri and Jason were some of the strongest Rangers he knew. Their resignation didn't sit well with him; it didn't sit well with him at all.

* * *

On the moon, Kemora watched in disgust as Rita and Zedd celebrated their apparent victory in the throne room of the lunar palace. Rita held the orb containing the Mystic Mother high above her head and spun around in her own version of a touchdown victory dance. It was pathetic. Kemora was no stranger to this kind of warfare. She knew what the use of Teeg's tower's meant, but was fairly confident the villain hadn't informed the two idiots in front of her that there would be nothing left of the planet for them to rule. Not that she cared, she wanted the Pit of Fire on Muirantias. She hadn't been able to get past Lerigot's Nemesis Triangle in ages. Once she re-took the island, nothing would stop her, but for now, she bided her time and played the well behaved little underling to Teeg. 

The artificial body she was encapsulated in had its advantages. She was thinking clearly again for the first time in eons and she was incredibly, physically strong. Its restrictions however, were claustrophobic. Not since she'd been sacrificed to Maligore in the Pit of Fire had she been forced to take orders, wait upon, and obey the will of another like a pathetic little dog. Long buried memories of Zordon and her former life as a Ranger sifted gently to the surface of her mind as she watched Rita and Zedd continue to howl and dance around.

What a pathetic little puppy she'd been. She'd dutifully done all that so-called great master had told her. _Great master_, her mind sneered. She'd been a fool. Lapping up the so-called wisdom of an ancient floating head. She'd done her duty, she'd followed all the rules, bought into every party line, and what had happened to her? He'd betrayed her. He'd promised her everything would be fine if she left, that she needed to go, that she could come back. No sooner had she left than he'd brought the blond bimbo in. She'd been replaced as quickly and easily as if she'd never existed. Her Tommy had also replaced her just as quickly. Men were all alike. They were a pathetic, worthless species. She could almost hear the echo of his traitorous young voice telling her how he'd found true love and asking her to be happy for him. What a pathetic joke.

She'd been so confident they'd save her when she'd been kidnapped. The Rangers were always in time to save the day, but she obviously hadn't been important enough for them….to him… They'd had other things to worry about that day and the trusting little mortal she'd been had burned to death in Maligore's fiery pit. Only then had they come after her, but it was to destroy the demon she'd become, not to rescue the trusting little dupe she'd been.

She'd gotten her revenge; she'd slaughtered the lot of them. Slaughter wasn't the word for what she'd done. The extermination had been brutal, barbaric, and complete. She'd left her Tommy alive the longest, forced him to watch as one by one she'd cut the others down, cruelly dragging out their deaths with prolonged torturous techniques. What she'd done to her dimension's Katherine had confirmed for all time her transmutation into demon spawn. It had been particularly dreadful… and utterly euphoric. The smell, the look, the fear, and feel of the warm blood had been a rush like nothing she'd ever encountered; she'd reveled in it.

That's when the killings had begun. Once she started, she couldn't stop. The thrill of it had been like a drug, giving her more pleasure than she'd ever known. She'd traveled all across her home galaxies, glorying in the slaughter until even the most brutal acts had become mundane. When she'd discovered her powers allowed her to cross dimensions, the original thrill had returned in force. She could put all the pathetic little Kimberlys out of their misery and experience the joy of murdering the Rangers, of torturing Tommy, all over again…but still, nothing had been as satisfying as that first horrific slaughter.

Eventually, there were those who tried to stop her; for the most part she'd simply stopped them. The resistance to her had been almost humorous at times, occasionally interesting at others. Thomas had proved the most efficient, but even then, he and K were not much more than annoying.

Thomas was a butcher, just like she was; there was something mildly erotic in that. It was a shame they both wanted to annihilate one another. K was a different story. She had seriously underestimated that little bitch. But, then again, she shouldn't have been surprised. K was just like herself, a Kimberly turned demon spawn. Unfortunately K still tried to embrace her so-called human spirit; that pathetic little mewly character that held all the Kimberly's from achieving the greatness she had. Love…what had love ever accomplished for her but pain and suffering, disappointment and betrayal. In the end, K was nothing, would achieve nothing, just like all the others; she didn't deserve to live.

A slow smile spread across her cold lips. Teeg would soon deal with K, she mused. He double had crossed the wrong villain there. Once K was disposed of, she could easily handle Thomas on her own. With the power of Maligore's pit behind her, she'd be able to shake off Teeg's leash and go back to the only desire she'd known in eons…she'd butcher them all.

Her eyes lazily left the revelry and sought out the cat-like woman who insisted on controlling her. She was obviously equally revolted by the behavior of her underlings, but like Kemora, she held her peace and allowed the duo to act like the idiots they were. In her hand, she slowly twirled the containment orb holding K's Tommy. Kemora's eyes narrowed on the orb, anger and hatred slowly boiling through her artificial veins. _K's Tommy_. What a prize that little man would be…the ultimate thrill…to kill the soul mate of her doppelganger might prove almost as satisfying as slaughtering the boy who had spurned her all those eons ago. It was almost worth the consequences Teeg would extract for her defiance. But how to do it? Teeg wasn't likely to hand over that big of a prize. She hated Kimberly almost as much as Kemora herself did.

Tommy. The very sound of the name was like warm blood on her tongue. The mighty and pious Tommy, who had once been as evil as she…a slow smile spread across her artificial lips. The evil Tommy…the vicious evil green ghost that haunted him…slowly, she rose from her position and began to glide across the room, just a hint excitement tingling up and down her spine. At her approach, Teeg diverted her gaze from the moron's in front of her and warily regarded the demon.

"That's quite a prize you've managed to score." Kemora all but purred, using her best, innocent Kimberly look. Teeg's eyes narrowed, but she refused to answer. "Is he dead yet?"

"He sleeps." Teeg answered simply.

"I wonder." Kemora crooned quietly, just above a whisper, as if she found the very words an erotic caress. "You know him as the love mate of your adversary, the successor to your greatest challenger," She paused and caught Teeg's eyes, licking her lips slightly, "But do you know his whole story? How he got his infamous start in the world of the Rangers?"

* * *

Kim felt Thomas's approach several seconds before she heard the zacada noise. She squelched her anger and, using techniques learned long ago under her tenures with Zordon and Dulcea, carefully controlled the Muirantian energies coursing through her. The grid wasn't fooled though, she could feel it question her actions, even if it respected her wish not to openly communicate with her. It was an old grid and as eccentric in its ways as any human of extreme advanced years; disgruntled with the young and firm in its belief that the old ways on Eltar were better. 

As the zacada sound grew louder, she turned and cautiously regarded Thomas's approach. If he was curious by her demeanor, he didn't show it. He approached her calmly, only the slightest hint of dismay visible in his eyes as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Have you come to apologize?" She asked evenly, the slightest trace of bitterness edging her words. He shifted his stance at her words, regarding her curiously. She realized she'd caught him off guard and steeled herself against the slight smile that tugged at her lips. "I was called in to locate you after your disappearance." He said evenly. "Tommy wasn't meant to be captured by Teeg; you were."

"So you're responsible for the Equaline wave? For altering my planet's history?" Her voice was almost serene, but there was no mistaking the venom in her words. It was a guess, a gamble that the artificial time adjustment had been used on her dimension, but one she was fairly certain of. The history of her world had definitely been altered; the question remained by whom.

"No." He answered plainly. "That decision wasn't mine to make or argue. History was altered by allowing you to live the last time."

"I was under the impression," She said, eyes beginning to glow red, "That particular indiscretion of yours had already been mitigated."

"So was I." He answered, eyes narrowing a bit. She hadn't been surprised to see him, hadn't come running to the zacada sound as he'd expected. He had anticipated her to be more upset, she knew what the towers meant, they both did. Yet she regarded him coolly, without tears or any evidence of anxiety. She hadn't flung herself into him or begged him for answers he couldn't give. Something was amiss, but he wasn't sure what.

"So what happened?" She snapped, the words betraying a little of the anger she felt.

"It was appealed. Netau and a few others argued that the green-line was forced artificially and, by law, that kind of interference demanded the world be given to the other side."

"Nice of him."

"It's the law Kimberly." He said, using her full name.

"So now I'm Kimberly to you?" She said in a voice that seriously disturbed him. It was hard and yet silky and bore more than a little resemblance to Kemora in the early years when she was still sane. She stepped forward and he surprised himself by backing up. "I don't think it's the law at all." She continued, voice growing harder. "I think you sold me. I think you gave me up in order to keep the evidence of your other little…_interferences_…from scrutinization."

Thomas's eyes narrowed at the accusation, fists clenching at his sides. "There was nothing I could do." He said brusquely. "The decision was made, I could comply and find you after you disappeared or face the moderators and undergo an investigation of my tenure."

"So you sold me and my world."

"You had already been sold. The deed had already been done. If I came to your defense again the others would suffer and more worlds would be unfairly claimed." He answered defensively.

"Is that why you made it a point to show me the other's who survived Kemora? Her last victim that you transplanted and the other one who parallels me even though she wasn't sacrificed on Muirantias? So that I'd forgive you somehow and willingly sacrifice my world for the greater good? Or that I'd know your work will go on with another Kim?" Her words were harsh and accusatory and penetrated his defenses more quickly and efficiently than either realized they would.

He stared at her open mouthed, astonishment plainly showing on his face, until she realized she wasn't entirely correct. "You haven't gone back in time yet to show me those alternates." She said, voice softening a little. "You really were trying to help me, you just haven't done it yet. That's why you told me to be careful, not to trust anyone…especially you."

Thomas had closed his mouth, but continued to stare at her incredulously. K was special to him. He had begun to admit that to himself when he'd interfered, against the DG's wishes, and given the information of how to save her to the Mystic Mother. He had told himself, and the moderators, that it was out of curiosity; nothing more. Her Tommy had to make the choice to forgive not only Kimberly, but the Mystic Mother as well, and then had to actively seek out the Mystic Mother to obtain that information. He wasn't sure it would work, but he had made the gamble because he cared about his friend. The news that the appeal had been successful and her world would be sacrificed, that she would be sacrificed, had been devastating. It wasn't like losing his wife all over again, but it was like losing his son. Equally devastating, but for different reasons.

He had watched K from the time she was born, had convinced Zordon to allow her to be taken to Muirantias even though the old master had been incredibly fond of and attached to this particular Kimberly. He had thrilled at her survival after the pit of fire and her transformation back to the good. He had molded her into the perfect weapon against her doppelganger, but, in the process, he had become attached to her himself. Perhaps that was why Zordon had allowed him to take her. The old master had known he didn't have long to survive, perhaps he knew that this particular Kimberly could touch him as none of the others had. She had broken the armor he had built up after unfathomable years. Through her, he had begun to feel again.

As they stared each other down, he realized he wanted to help her, that he needed to help her. That help would go against every rule he had sworn to operate under, but he honestly didn't care. "They cheated." He said simply, emotion filtering through in his voice. Her eyes narrowed, both at the words and by the feeling behind them. "They've been cheating." He continued in a voice barely above a whisper. "The DG is being manipulated from within in order for the forces of evil to gain the upper hand when the final timeline is reached…they know I know." He finished. His eyes held hers and Kim honestly wasn't sure if he was willing her to understand or acknowledging that he'd help her fight the verdict that had doomed her.

"Well done Thomas." A serene, oil like voice said from just behind him. It startled both of them, but the reactions were well hidden. Kim's eyes glowed fiercely as she recognized the intruder.

"Netau." She hissed, the anger and loathing for the creature in front of her more than apparent. He smiled placatingly at her and simply blinked an acknowledgement as the red glow in her eyes turned deadly.

It was rumored that, once upon a time, Netau had been human. Where he'd originated from was now unknown, but he was a thin shell of a humanoid; hairless and with eyes that seemed permanently dilated. He didn't have an odor about him, but his mere presence produced something noxious enough to send Kim reeling with nausea. Technically, he served the forces of good, but Kim had never seen anything good come from him. He had a reputation for being exceedingly fair in his judgments and vocation, yet Kim had always found him cruel and inhumane. She had mused more than once that she was labeled the demon spawn among the DG, but Netau was far more demonic than she.

She hated him and not just because he had been overly strict with enforcing penalties in the few instances he'd caught her breaking the rules. There was something unexplainable about him that sent her hackles crackling up her back and her temper flaring. He made no bones about the fact that he believed she should have never survived Muirantias, that a demon was a demon, and had argued for her execution ever since. Any little oddity or infraction he could find, he would immediately attributed to her. However, to the credit of the council, in recent years the powers that be had listened less and less to his whining, as Kim called it. This had infuriated the older guardian and set him on the warpath against her. She was correct in assuming Netau felt a certain amount of glee at her imminent demise. He hated her as much as she hated him.

"Your assistance in locating the demon spawn will be duly noted." He said, nodding slightly to Thomas.

Thomas said nothing, made no reaction, simply stared at him, which caused Netau's eyes to narrow slightly. He shifted, as if preparing for a possible fight. Neither of the creatures before him were high on his list. Thomas was too curious for his own good and to say K's survival had been inconvenient for him was to put things mildly. Netau had an agenda. There were forces that needed to be appeased and the two before him had made his life exceedingly difficult lately.

"Step aside Thomas." Netau hissed. "Your work here is done. The demon spawn will be contained. Unless, of course, you plan to resist the council's decision?" There was almost the sound of hope in his raspy voice, as if it would please him greatly for Thomas to openly defy the Dimensional Guardians.

Thomas didn't answer, but he turned and met Kim's eyes head on. There was an unreadable look in them; one not even Kim could translate. Without a word, the zacada buzzing noise began, and then he was gone.

"Poor little demon." Netau hissed, causing Kim to actually look at him. "Even your mentor has given up on you."

"I wonder." Kim said calmly, backing up a step. "What's in this for you?"

Netau grinned, showing needle sharp teeth in blood red gums, poking out in sharp contrast to his blue grey lips and white skin. "Resistance is pointless." He said smoothly, mistaking her backward motion for fear. In his hand appeared a white containment orb. Kim glanced at it and backed up another step, Netau matching her motions smoothly.

"Admit it." Kim said, watching the orb carefully. "You've been helping to sabotage the timelines in favor of the evil empire." She said, and again backed away from him. She was cautious, not afraid, but she knew her adversary was too full of his own victory to notice she was steering towards a particular destination.

"Foolish little girl." He said in a placating voice. "You have quite a limited understanding of the universe don't you?"

"What's in it for you Netau?" She snarled, eyes blazing.

"It matters not." He said simply, but his eyes twinkled a bit, if that's what you could call it. "You're going to go to sleep now." He said, voice taking on an edge that made her skin crawl. "I'm told it's relatively painless."

"What did they promise you to kill off the wrong twin before she was born? To make sure the other one survived to become Kimberly? To name the wrong twin Tommy and then place him in Zordon's path? To alter how many countless trivial little details just enough to make everything go wrong and send the world spiraling towards a dark outcome?"

"Thomas is intelligent." He answered, eyes narrowing. "But misguided. He seeks only to raise his dead wife from the grave; a liability that will be his undoing in the end."

"The end will come when you and yours are caught and all that power you've been promised slips through your sweaty little fingers." She snarled and felt a moment of victory when his eyes blazed back at her and his breathing increased. Bingo. He'd been promised power. She backed up two more steps as he raised the hand holding the orb, but she'd already reached her destination, she was directly above the old grid. It crackled with energy, silently acknowledging what she was doing and in the process agreeing to help her.

"It won't work." Kim said defiantly. "It's all about to come tumbling down around you."

"You underestimate me." Netau hissed. "Say goodbye to your world demon." The orb began to glow brightly, the light edging toward her, but Kim had also begun to glow. A warm red light surrounded her hands as energy from the grid reached upward out of the ground and through her legs. She could see in her mind's eye the phoenix guardian on Muirantias flare to life and add the pit's power to the grid's. The two combined and flowed upward through her in a way she'd never experienced before. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.

"I don't think so." Kim growled. As the light from the orb shot forward, Kim reached out her arms as if to block it, causing Netau to grin wickedly, but instead of being consumed by the orb's force field, red energy shot forward from her hands and blocked its advance. Slowly, methodically, the orb's field edged backward. By the time what was really happening registered on Netau's face, it was too late, he was not only fully consumed by his own, blue white, containment orb, but incased as well in a red one made of Kim's energy.

Slowly, she relaxed her shoulders, breathing heavily, and stepped forward, bending to the ground to retrieve the red orb. "It's you who underestimated me." She said wickedly, watching as his thin figure pounded against the glass enclosure of the first orb within an orb. "Game over. I win."

* * *

"And that's everything Jason and Carri have been able to share with us." Andros finished. He paused and let the Red Assembly digest what he'd just briefed them on. Tommy, his former student Kira, Zane and Carri's brother Josh had all been taken captive. Andros had informed them what the Zeo's knew, which was that Teeg had three Power Coins and was probably planning on using three of the captives as evil Rangers, but he had omitted the fact that Tommy had been encased in a containment orb and would, according to Jason, most like have perished by now. The Zeos had decided to withhold that information, stressing instead that Tommy was mostly likely too powerful as an evil Ranger for Teeg to control and that he had a higher value as simply a hostage. 

None of them knew how well the Assembly would function without its founder, but so far the Rangers seemed eager to face the challenge their world was facing. They had responded quickly and en masse, and all were resolved to rescue those kidnapped and save their world. It was a strong focus for them and no one wanted to spread the insecurities and sense of loss the Zeos were feeling.

Billy estimated the Earth had two to three days before the atmosphere became hazardous to the plants and animals living on it and about five or six before the polar ice caps completely melted and absorbed the coastlines. It was very little consolation that the majority of people in the flood zones would already be dead if things progressed that far.

In just three hours, storms had already begun forming in the tropics and lightening was starting wildfires all across the globe; none of it boded well for them or for future of the planet. At the moment, no one outside the Rangers knew what was going on, but the media was quick to associate the towers with the odd weather patterns and the automated response system was jammed with inquiries. Several high level government offices were also trying alternate communications routes and it was only a matter of time before they demanded a better answer than the computer systems generated; Tommy had been right, they needed a person to communicate with the public. However, the Zeos were lost without their powers and still in shock by how quickly things had turned on them. There was a tenuousness a kind of uneasy aura hovering over those in charge that all present could sense, if not directly name.

"Has anyone found a way to destroy the towers?" TJ asked from the back row.

"What we need is to rescue the Mystic Mother." Nick insisted from further down and to the side. "That's where Rita's getting the power to alter those coins."

"We need to go after Kemora first." Cole Evans insisted, standing up and seconded by two of the Wild Force team that had come with him. "If she gains control of the Temple of Power on Muirantias, she'll also gain control of the animal spirits on both that island and on Phaedos. Animus brought the Wild Zords to Earth from Phaedos. If she controls those sources of power, she could take control of the them on the Animarium. This is exactly what Kim warned Dulcea and Animus about."

"But people are gonna die if we don't take out those towers first." Mack Hartford argued from the opposite corner where three of the Overdrive representatives sat. "We need to combine what strength we have and destroy them before they kill the planet."

"You guys go do that then." Nick said, standing up and facing off against the Overdrive red. "We're going to get our Mystic Mother back." Those with him agreed loudly and the room erupted with various reds shouting over one another.

"You can't do a direct assault on the towers." Jason argued, standing up in the front and raising his hands to silence the debate that was about to start. His eyes found Carri in the back of the room and she rolled her eyes dramatically, as if to indicate the fallacy of the male species in leadership. In this instance, however, he agreed with her. "And dividing up in separate groups is just as deadly." He said firmly, staring down the two young reds who had begun the shouting. "It won't work."

"Then we shift our focus and find another way to win." Kim said from the doorway. All eyes turned toward her as she stoically proceeded down the steps and into the front of the Assembly followed closely by Jen Collins. Wes's eyes instantly fixed on his wife, who was supposed to be keeping a low profile, posing as her ancestor, and who wasn't supposed to know anything about the Power Rangers, but she kept her focus on Kim as she followed her down the steps. "Jason's right, no one has ever fought the towers and won, but none of us have ever had this much time to prepare for Teeg's full assault before…and no one has had the added advantage of this Assembly...or my experience with both Teeg and Kemora.

She addressed them head on, demanding their attention, then turned and caught Jason's eye, knowing what he was thinking; that there had been worlds where the Red Assembly had existed and those worlds had perished.

"There have been worlds who've combined the forces of their retired Rangers," She continued, more for the benefit of Jason and Carri than those before her, "But those worlds were more intent on destroying the towers than saving the people." She looked up at Mack Hartford and gave him a hard enough look to make him shift uncomfortably. "Or they broke up into small groups and put themselves at a serious disadvantage." She added, giving Cole and the Mystic Force Red a hard enough looks to make them sit back down in their seats.

"If we can't destroy those towers, this world will be lost in a matter of days." Carri spoke up from her place next to Rocky in the back. "It won't be habitable." She finished. Kim nodded her head, acknowledging she knew her friend was right.

"Which is why we won't focus on their destruction." Kim said firmly. The room around her erupted with comments and she raised both hands, waving everyone silent. "I'm not saying we won't attempt it," She said, regaining their attention, "But where the others went wrong was making it their sole focus until it was too late to do anything else. This is a long fight, a full assault on the entire planet by more than one enemy…this is exactly the kind of fight Tommy was preparing us for when he formed the Red Assembly." She paused again slightly, letting her words sink in. "On the other planets, by the third day, when all hell really breaks loose and the atmosphere is no longer habitable, the other teams lost because they lost their organization, they lost their focus, and lost the time they needed to plan anything else. By the last, crucial hours, their focus was no longer on winning the fight, but on the loved ones they were letting down; those who had died or were dying because they didn't have the time they needed to find the right solution."

"So what are you suggesting?" Carter Grayson asked. "That we allow these enemies to destroy our world?" His tone was bitter and Kim paused until the murmuring around him had come to a complete silence. She then waited a few more seconds, until all eyes were totally focused on her again.

"Andros would be the first to tell you, that it's the people, not the planet, that makes a world. His people learned that lesson a long time ago. I'm not sure we can save this planet, but we'll give it our best shot. However, our focus needs to first be on securing the safety of the population, or as much of the population as we can, as well as finding a place for them to go if we fail. Only then do we begin our counter attack."

"So that's it? We just give up and hide until Teeg leaves then hope someone takes us in?" Conner jumped up and demanded. "Some of us have friends who were taken." He said caustically and a few others added their voices to his disgruntled opinion.

"_My husband was taken_." She snarled in return, losing her cool momentarily. At her cold stare he slowly sat back down and the voices around him silenced.

"No." She said firmly, shaking her head and turning back to the assembly with a voice that indicated she wouldn't allow them to interrupt her again. "I'm not saying we give up the fight before it starts, but I'm saying we don't make the same mistakes at the onset that the other Rangers in our position did. We need to understand what's happening here. Teeg knows Rangers, she's gone up against master Rangers that make our combined forces look like a Kindergarten class. We are not going up against a would-be conqueror, too full of his own importance to keep from getting in his own way. Teeg has no interest in keeping this world alive to conquer, she's out to kill as many Rangers as she can and she's going to do it by killing what we hold most dear; our families and our world." She paused and let her words sink in. "This isn't just one attack, but several. Kemora is after power, but she isn't above reveling in a little destruction on the way. Rita and Zedd are annoying, but they shouldn't be underestimated either. We have multiple attacks being coordinated by different enemies; we have to maintain our focus… or we lose everything."

"Then it's true what you said in the park." Carri interrupted, ignoring her friend's warning look not to interrupt. "You already know how to defeat Teeg and those towers." Her words started the reds murmuring again, but the sound died quickly as all eyes focused back on Kim.

"I know how to win the battle we're facing." Kim said simply, purposefully sending her friend a look that meant not to interrupt again. Carri's spine stiffened, but she remained silent as Kim continued. "You know the forces we're up against. Teeg has begun to lay the groundwork for her assault with the towers. Kemora has been sent to reclaim the Temple of Power on Muirantias and yes," She looked at Cole, "Through this Temple she will be able to reach Phaedos and the Animarium, but although the Wild Zords and other powers she'll obtain will be a huge bonus to her and devastating for us, I believe Teeg's primary objective in sending Kemora to Muirantias is that she thinks I will be rendered powerless if Kemora gains control of the Temple there; but she's wrong on that front."

She paused and gathered her thoughts momentarily before continuing. "The Mystic Mother, protector of the Mystic Realm has been captured by Rita and is being held in the Lunar Palace. She's already transformed herself into a being of light energy, so she's in no danger of expiring, however, her powers are now at the mercy of whomever controls the containment orb she'd been placed in. This is Rita's grab for power. Rita will be able to use her power to place the power coins Teeg's captured under an evil spell; effectively creating evil Rangers. Without the boost of power from the Mystic Mother, I don't believe she's good enough to get that job done for Teeg. Tommy, two retired Rangers and a the brother of the current Zeo Yellow have been taken hostage. However Teeg doesn't take hostages. It's my belief that Teeg will utilize Zane, Kira, and Josh as evil Rangers. Tommy, she'll keep alive long enough to see if I'll behave…and then she'll kill him in hopes of breaking me and sending a message to the Rangers that she's powerful enough to kill Zordon's heir." She paused, swallowing hard, but no one made a sound. "So you see, this is a simultaneous attack by several villains, but it's also the well orchestrated strategy of one brilliant enemy."

Kim took a deep breath and paused, as if considering her words. "What you don't know, is that none of this was supposed to happen." She turned and met Jen's eyes as the room began to murmur again. She turned and walked backward, toward the side of the front podium and jerked her head toward the assembly. Jen gave her a hesitant look and then stepped forward, but the conversations only grew louder.

A shrill, piercing whistle cut through the throng and almost everyone quieted at once. "Are you people the slightest bit interested in learning what's happening or do you want to waste more time in useless conversation?" Carri growled. More than a few eyes turned back to her in the back of the room and she jerked a finger toward the front as if directing a group of wayward little boys.

"Thank you for your attention." Jen said with more than a little asperity, taking her cue from Carri's tone. "Most of you who are familiar with Tommy's histories know that Time Force, with the exception of the Silver Guardians, returned to the future. Most of the thousand year history they brought with them, returned as well; but not all." She paused and glanced at Kim, as if to ask permission to continue and Kim nodded back at her. This gesture wasn't missed by either of the Silver Guardians, who regarded Jen with a cautious curiosity. If Jen revealed she wasn't her ancestor, but the Pink Time Force Ranger from the year three thousand, she risked expulsion from the current time period or even execution for altering time and disobeying the very laws she'd sworn to uphold. This didn't sit well with Wesley at all. He loved his wife and had every intention of keeping her with him.

"Several hours ago, a phenomenon known as a Equaline Wave originated and began to spread forward through time." She paused and took a deep breath, obviously steadying herself. The effect was obvious and immediate with the Rangers in front of her. None of them had heard of this phenomenon, but it was evident that this was not a good thing. "No one thing creates a wave like this. I've never seen one, just read about them in Time Force research. This one began with the capture of the Mystic Mother and the arrival of Teeg. It possibly began when Teeg and Kemora joined forces. The end result is that, as of about ten minutes ago, Time Force as we knew them ceased to exist, as did the year three thousand."

This time there was no eruption of commentary, the Rangers simply stared at her in eerie silence. No one knew what to say, what could be said. Jen nodded, as if understanding their reaction, she'd had a similar one. "In a sense, everything that is happening now, is because the history that was and should be, has been sabotaged. Yes, we have to save this planet, yes we have to stop Teeg, Zedd, and Kemora, but the primary objective, if we are to survive as a race, is to put time back on target."

"How do we stop this wave?" Eric said stoically.

"I'm not sure." Jen admitted. "But we have to try and reset it." She looked around the podium area and found a small extension cord. Laying it out in a flat, straight line, she bent down in a squatting position and looked back up at the Assembly who were readjusting themselves in their seats to get a better view of what she was doing. "If you think of this cord as the timeline, with this end," and she help up the end of the cord nearest her, "As the present time. Then you snap it." She jerked her wrist and the cord arced like a whip, the line changing positions. "The wave alters the timeline so it's now pointing to a different outcome. If you snap it again." And again she jerked the line and it snapped and twisted haphazardly in another direction. "You don't put it back to where it was, so we can't just start another one right behind it. We have to find a way to strategically arc the line back, knowing only the details that we managed to preserve before the wave." This time the room did erupt in loud conversation and it took two more whistles from Carri to quiet them down. "The wave originated, in the scheme of things, only a short time ago. It's very possible that if we act quickly, we can snap it back into place with the timeline Time Force told us is supposed to exist."

"That's…that's impossible." Karone said from her seat by her brother.

"To those who possess the Great Power, all things are possible." Kim said calmly. Jason met her eyes, his back to the assembly, the look in them clear that he thought she was promising them too much. She met his gaze head on, almost, but not quite, instilling hope into his pessimistic attitude. "Once upon a time." Kim said in a louder voice, one that rang, filling the small amphitheater up to the very last row. "Once upon a time, when I was a girl, Zordon lay dying and Ivan Ooze was about to take control of this world. The Mighty Morphin Powers that we had all taken for granted were gone, disintegrated, and the Power Chamber was in ruins. Without any hope of returning home if we failed, Tommy lead us across the galaxy to Phaedos. There, he led us on a quest to find new powers. On faith alone we persevered and returned home to defeat Ivan and reclaim our world." She paused and considered her words. "Today we face a similar crisis, from not one, but several fronts. We are without sufficient power to fight this battle head on. We are without the leader we have come to depend on for guidance." Here, her throat caught and the strong dialogue faltered slightly, but she caught herself, and after only a moment's hesitation she continued. "But we are not without hope. All of us." And her voice strengthened as continued, taking them all in. "All of us have touched the Great Power at sometime in our tenure. Although most of us our now powerless compared to our active days, we are all still Rangers. We cannot forget that that Power will still be there when we need it the most. Just as we all learned in our earliest days as Rangers that it takes a whole team, a combination of strengths working in unison, to win the war… we must now join all our forces, learn to work together, in order to defeat this enemy. We must move forward blindly, on faith, knowing there is no way back, but that the fate of all we hold dear lies in the balance. We must reach inside ourselves to where that Great Power still guides our lives and draw forth that power. Together, we will face this challenge, defy these odds, and together….and only together… we will persevere."

"Even with the Great Power on our side, we're still short on morphing powers and zords." Mack, the newest of the reds, said uneasily. Kimberly shifted her gaze to him, eyes holding his firmly.

"Morphing powers and zords will help." She said firmly, a slight wry edge to her voice. "But they are not necessary to win this war." She released her lock and gazed purposely at each and every section of the room until all felt she was looking directly at them. "Morphers and zords didn't help the others who have faced these towers, who have faced Kemora. They're tools, nothing more. The true power lies within each and every one of us. If you haven't learned that by now, you've failed as a Ranger."

"And how do accomplish all this?" Cam asked.

"We organize." Kim said simply. "We do what Tommy intended for us to do. Represented in this room are twelve ranger teams, the others not on this planet have no way to reach us in time and some of us have served on more than one, but all of us have assembled today because we are Rangers and we are needed. This isn't a fight for three or five or six Rangers to fight individually. For just one team to step forward and rise to the challenge by themselves. This a fight for every team to come together as one mega-team, to unite our forces just as we united with our teammates to form one megazord. From the many, we will form one mighty force and reclaim our planet. This is what Tommy had in mind, although I promise you it never occurred to him he wouldn't be here to see it to its conclusion, to lead this fight. We cannot let him down, we cannot let our world down, we must finish this fight and finish it together."

Watching her from the sidelines, Jason wondered if Tommy or even Zordon could have imagined the flighty little pink Mighty Morphin would have morphed into the woman rallying a room full of red Rangers; even he was beginning to draw hope from the cavernous despair that had engulfed him for the last few hours. He knew she was grieving, he could feel it. He knew the source of the grief, knew what the others didn't…that Tommy was most likely already dead. Under the calm, steady demeanor, she showed before the other reds, she was shaking with grief and loss and he marveled all the more about what she was about to pull off. In his mind's eye he could almost see Zordon's pleased smile and he knew his friend would have been very proud of her…he would have also shared Jason's wry amusement over their favorite little girl's maturation.

"We have to take one issue at a time." Kim was saying to them now. "We can't leave until Teeg deactivates the force field around our planet and the population won't survive on the surface long enough for us win this conflict; that's Teeg's ace. That's also the trump card we play against her. We need to set our mindset in the beginning that it's the people we need to save, not the planet. That will free us to do all we must do to finish this battle. Once our loved ones and as much of the population as possible are safe and hopefully have a place to go if we fail, then and only then, can we be totally focused on destroying those towers and reclaiming our world."

Kim paused as several Rangers caught the fighting spirit and cheered her and voice their support. "We start at the beginning. We have forty-eight hours to get contingencies worked out before Teeg will be ready to begin a full assault." She continued. "By that time, if we wait, we'll have less than twenty four hours to save the world before everyone in it begins to die. We already know what's going to happen. Do we choose the foolish route and use path that our predecessors chose in hopes our outcome will be different?" She paused and looked every Ranger in the room in the eyes. "Or do we shift our focus and make contingency plans for the civilians who are trusting us to save them?"

"Are you suggesting?" Master Watanabe asked calmly. "That we evacuate an entire world?"

"We can't leave." Kim said simply, "But we can get as many people as we can into underground shelters until the storm passes. Then, if the Rangers fail, we can at least offer them hope of a new life elsewhere. It's the best shot we've got."

"There aren't enough caves and shelters on the planet to put the population of Earth into." Cam said incredulously.

"We save as many as we can." Kim said seriously. "I realize I ask the impossible, but the cruel reality is that we need to secure the families of those who are about to fight what might just prove the last battle for Earth. I need each and every person who is committed to this task one thousand percent focused. That's not going to happen if people start bailing at the last second to save loved ones."

Master Watanabe held her gaze purposefully for a moment and she returned it calmly, silently asking him to understand that she had already considered the ramifications of her actions. "Tommy created this Assembly for one purpose and one purpose only, to defend our way of life. We need to be prepared to accept that that life may need to be continued elsewhere with whatever survivors we can save."

"If I might make a suggestion?" A quiet but strong voice asked and Kim was surprised to see Odonna sitting with the other representatives of the Mystic Force team. She hadn't seen her friend earlier and wondered how she'd managed to blend in with all the male faces around her. "The islands of Mikumur within the Mystic Realm. They're isolated, unpopulated, and avoided by those within our borders because magic cannot be practiced there. We could temporarily host large numbers of refugees; in the short term anyway."

"I'm not familiar with those islands." Kim said frankly. She was surprised actually, she knew a great deal about the Mystic Realm and the Mystic Mother's rule there.

"I'm afraid your refugees wouldn't be very comfortable. It's a hot, wet climate, but one that supplies ample drinking water, food, and shelter. However, there are more than twenty islands in a large arc across the Gossamar Sea. Each stretches from several hundred to several thousand tempats."

"What's a tempat?' Jason asked.

"Just over a mile…more or less." Kim answered, nodding at Odonna. "Your generosity on behalf of the Mystic Ream is welcomed. We'll discuss the details later."

Kim's mind was reeling. Even with all the shelters on Earth and the generous offer of those islands, she knew that millions would still perish, but it was the only option that hadn't been explored. The truth was, she'd cheated. She'd used her powers to go back over and over again across dimensions, spent months studying what had caused the others to fail. After nearly a year of travel, she was barely closer to an answer than she had been before she'd encased Netau in her orb.

Returning back to her own time just three hours later, she then made two more short trips. The first nearly a week prior to the tower where she'd briefed Cole on the Animarium and asked Princess Shayla to assemble the Wild Force Rangers in defense of Muirantias. She didn't know Animus except by reputation, but Animus knew Dulcea; and she was Dulcea's student. It hadn't been that hard of a sell and she knew Cole and the others were simply awaiting her order to proceed. The second trip had been a jump back to just three days prior, to explain the oddities of what happened to Wes's wife, Jen Collins. Jen owed her a favor, Kim had been able to convince the local time guardians that she was actually her ancestor and had helped her to find a suitable identity as her ancestor in the twenty first century. But nothing had prepared her for the reality of what she was about to do. To order the Rangers into a plan of action that had never been tried before. Never tried…but never failed either. She wasn't even sure they'd listen to her, she wasn't Tommy, but at least they seemed to be listening.

She turned to face the Rangers at the podium and took a deep breath, She knew Jason could feel the conflict in her. She also knew he was beginning to sense the changes in her too. The anger had tempered, but the power lay just below the surface and was still difficult to hide.

"First thing first. We have three days before Teeg is ready for a full assault across the entire planet." She said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "We have a good twenty-four hours to get the population to safety, twenty if you deduct the four we've wasted gathering and briefing everyone. I need every Ranger in here to contact the others on his or her team. I then need one representative from each team…not the red…who will coordinate the evacuation of the family members."

"Why not the red?" Mack asked.

"Because once the families are settled, I need at least one representative on each team to remain behind and help coordinate things here and deal with the issues of putting a large population into a very small space while the rest of us take up other duties. This will be a huge undertaking. We need to stay organized and set up a chain of command among ourselves with many of us taking on double, even triple duties."

She paused and turned to the small group behind her. "Andros. You and Ashley will lead the family evacuation and handle the organization of the Ranger families. If we fail against the Towers, you two are responsible for staying alive and seeing them relocated." It sounded harsh, but Andros came from a race of people who had already suffered this scenario, he was the best person to take the lead should they lose. He was also the first of the retirees to have a family and Kim knew there would be enough orphans on the planet before Teeg was done. "Settle them close, on level eight itself if possible… there's also the bunkers behind the Zeo's Command Center. You have about six hours to get them completely settled before we start informing governments that they're going to need to evacuate their populations and chaos truly reins on this planet."

"We can't get level eight and those bunkers ready in six hours." Billy interrupted and she turned to him. "The security measures required to keep them out of the places they shouldn't be in will be complicated enough, but then we have to stabilize the caverns and make them habitable." He argued. "There's waste facilities, food storage and preparation sites, heating/cooling, sleeping quarters…"

"You're right." Kim said plainly. "You have about four hours to make your modifications and about an hour and a half to cram everyone in." She gave him a hard look he'd never seen on her before and she turned back to Andros. "I also want you stretching your diplomatic skills farther than you've ever reached before. We can't leave, but I can make you a limited communications orb like Zordon once had. You need to use it to negotiate for KO-35."

"For Earth's use?" He asked incredulously. "That's not going to go over very well."

"They've opened it up to non-Kaoan colonization and Mirinoi's going to balk at the numbers we're gonna throw at them. I need you to play every card you've got and then some. Earth has more Power Rangers and Ranger families than any other planet in the known universe. Use a massive guilt trip if you have to, the Kaoans would still be living nomadically in caves if the Rangers hadn't kicked Dark Specter's ass into oblivion. They owe us. Make sure they damn well know it. It that doesn't work, promise them all the asbestos on the planet; that's the one substance that we know will survive Teeg's assault. Money talks when good will doesn't."

She turned her back on him, effectively dismissing him, and faced Cole Evans. " Power up." She said simply and he and the two men with him jumped up and left the Assembly.

Turning to the Mystic Force group, she ignored Nick and looked directly at Leanbow. "Outside and to the left, down about four doors is conference room eight-C. Meet me in there and Jason and I will give you everything we have on the Lunar Palace."

She then walked over to the Silver Guardians. "Initially, I need the Silver Guardians to help organize the public evacuations. You're better equipped and set up to take on that responsibility; even though you're going to have to seriously divide your forces. Get your families settled and then I suggest you join forces with the Ninja Academy. Get every student ninja they'll lend you and merge them with your forces. After that, coordinate with the Overdrive team, they're a new team, but they know this planet fairly well. Their Command Center is also set up for world operations. Divvy up by continents and start people moving. This is a huge responsibility and I'd rather have two senior reds that are used to working together coordinate it, but I'll also understand if the two of you want to join your former team mates and work on the Equaline Wave."

"What do mean work with our former teammates?" Wes asked, standing and shifting his focus between Kim and his wife.

"That would be us." The familiar female voice of Katie said saucily and Wes and Eric look up to see not only the entire former Time Force team, but the reformed Nadira and Ransik. "Cole told us to come on in." She said, cocking her head to Kim, who nodded.

"How?" Wes asked in amazement. "I thought the year three thousand didn't exist anymore."

"Kim was able to get us out just before the wave hit and wiped everything out." Trip answered with a grin. "Talk about a rough ride back..."

"How?" Wes asked again, turning to Kimberly.

"I cheated." Kim said with as close to a snarl as anyone who knew her had ever heard. "Catch up and then decide how you're going to proceed." She said roughly, indicating with her hands that they should also exit.

"Carter." She said with a military authority that made him grin. "Lightspeed and NASADA need to open their books to each other and share data...willingly. We're gonna need zords. Lots and lots of zords. Enough for an entire team to fight each of those towers. Take Hailey and Dino Thunder's former blue….Ethan…Ethan James." She said, closing her eyes and fumbling for a second on his name. "Don't get original, we just need machines to do the brute work and as many Rangers as you can get into uniform to man them. Once the families are settled, you and Lightspeed will lead the reds on the actual attack against Teeg's towers."

"What about morphers?" Hayley asked, coming up from behind her and moving in Carter's direction.

"You make them, I'll charge them." Kim said simply, squelching the knee jerk reaction to admit that she wasn't positive she'd be able to pull that feat off.

"We need a grid." Haley said matter of factly. "It's not your Zeo crystals that have the virus, it's the grids. They spread it between themselves and shut down within a matter of minutes from each other."

"All of them?" Kim asked, astonished, looking at Jason, who nodded solemnly.

"Then we'll figure that out when the time comes." She said simply. Hayley nodded once to her, as if she completely expected that answer, then to Carter as if to say they needed to get to work.

"What about me?" Billy said. "I've got a thousand new designs at minimum in my lab's data banks."

"Then release the designs to Hayley." Kim said, with a look of sympathy that gave him just enough of a nod to indicate she understood that wasn't going to be easy for him. "I need you in the Zeo's Command Center figuring out how to place everyone inside our doors and then keeping everyone organized. You're the only one I know that is completely capable of managing that kind of organized and diverse chaos." She said firmly and he nodded, not exactly pleased, but understanding what his role would be.

"Theodore." Kim said, turning with a grin towards Tommy's friend TJ.

"Yes 'mam." He answered, coming down the center aisle. "I know you're part of the Astro team, but I need you to take Conner and the Dino Thunder white and get Turbo up and running. Justin Stewart shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of and I know he's got a certain _car_ that he shouldn't…as do you. You three and whoever you can grab will be in charge of coordinating evacuations of the world governments themselves. That means working with the Silver guardians, but you'll be in charge of making sure the governments stay intact as they go underground, not the civilians. That's where Justin comes in, he needs to find a way to stabilize the computer systems of the banking and world trade organizations so that we can hopefully keep them from crashing and then get them back up and running again like nothing happened. You're going to have to work the fastest and then tell the other teams where to take people." Then, seeing the look on his face, added. "Don't panic, you've got a lot of good people to draw from in the in the older guard, Turbo had two full teams, contact them and put them to work. Off the top of my head I suggest you get Kat dealing with Australia, Tonya and Aisha with Africa, and Trini with Europe; yes, I know." She said off to the side at Billy's raised eyebrow, "She's Mighty Morphin and we need her down here, but she can give him a lot of good advice during the planning phase." She paused and took a deep breath, thinking hard about something. " I think, but I'm not sure, that Hartford on the Overdrive team has connections in India and the Middle East, but you better check me on that; I'm only going on a side comment of Tommy's. Anton Mercer and Wesley's father also have government connections. After that you're on your own to handle things as you see fit."

She turned to the rest of the room and located her current teammates. "I need the current Zeos, who just happen to also be mostly Mighty Morphins minus Zack, to figure out the best way to brief the world leaders on what needs to happen and then oversee the all individual evacuation teams. This isn't going to be easy, there's gonna be a lot of questions coming at us fast and furious and we need to be able to make fast decisions. The good news is that we won't have time to deal with the mistakes until long after it's already done." She scanned the room again and called after Karone, who was about to leave with her brother. "I need you with the current Zeos." She explained when Karone returned.

"Why me?"

"Because we're going to be coordinating the initial contact with the world leaders. You once convinced the entire legion of evil to work together. If you can do that, you can handle a room full of Earth's heads of state. They need to understand this isn't a joke and we don't have time to persuade them nicely to trust us. Once the evacuations are underway, I need you to help Billy keep the chain of command in tact; there are very few who will argue with you when you've got your hackles up, but at the same time you can keep your temper in check. It's a trait you share with Tommy. We've got a diverse groups of Rangers who have never worked with one another. Toes are gonna get stepped on and more than one red is already scared of you."

"And what's my assignment?" Jason asked, turning to her as Karone turned to follow her brother and the conference room emptied.

"I need you to take charge as red leader and pull this off." She answered curtly. "Someone's gonna have to have the final word on things and you're the original red Ranger."

"Oh no." Jason responded shaking his head. "This is your baby sweetheart."

"No." Kim said, shaking her head as well. "I just found a direction that hadn't been tried. I'm not Tommy and I'm not you. Once my family is settled, I need to go to Muirantias and help Cole, then I have to search out a power source strong enough to crush those towers. The reds need a strong leader at the helm or this will never work."

"They have a strong leader." He said firmly, then poked his index finger roughly in her shoulder. "You."

"Jase, that's not funny. I don't have time to argue this. I've set it up, I went back in time and found most, if not all the answers we need, but we don't have time to play games. You need to lead this, not me." She said insistently. "You're the senior red, you have the experience needed, and you're well respected by the other red leaders. They'll listen to you, I'm not strong enough to keep them in line during the critical hours."

To her dismay, and also to her disgruntlement, he laughed at her. Her eyes flashed an angry red and he held up both hands as if to keep her at bay.

"Kimberly, did you listen to anything you just said? Do you even know what you just did?" He asked and her forehead knotted in confusion. "You came in and took charge with every bit as much authority as Tommy. You told them what we were going to do, didn't allow anyone to argue with you, then you handed out assignments, and each and every one of them jumped up to follow your orders."

"Jase…" She started in an argumentative tone.

"No." He said decisively, cutting her off. "This is no different than when you and me and Carri got swept up in that time portal that took us back six thousand years to Ivan's first attack. You took charge, provided answers when there weren't any, and gave everyone hope."

"That's totally different." She argued, voice rising in frustration.

"How?"

"For one thing," She sputtered, "I already knew the answers. I knew how we found Ivan six thousand years later, what worked and what didn't when fighting him, how he was contained, and I knew how Tommy eventually defeated him."

"And this time you also provided the answers everyone was looking for."

"But this is so totally different it isn't even funny."

"How so?"

"I..." She answered, mind reeling and looking for the right thing to say to convince him how utterly wrong her was. "I don't know how this is going to turn out." She confessed and winced as he laughed outright at her again.

"Kimberly!" He bellowed at her. She was reverting into ninny mode and he fully intended to slap her out of it. He'd seen her in action as a red, knew she could do it, saw the same things in her that Tommy and the others had, but for some weird reason, she didn't see it in herself. That could be deadly for all involved if she didn't snap out of it. Every red doubted themselves at one point or another, it was part of the job, but now was not the time.

"What?" She asked, giving him a dumbfounded look. He regarded her sternly for a moment, allowing a silence to settle in the room. Almost everyone had left, but Carri, Rocky, Billy and Trini had lingered behind.

"How much time did you _borrow_ to research this out?" He asked plainly. He wasn't sure what the right term for it was, but he knew there was bending time and then there was out and out abusing the concept to your own advantage. He'd felt the changes in her from the moment she'd walked into the room. Her powers had matured far too rapidly for her not to have been off doing something coercive for far longer than the few hours that had passed. She starred at him blankly, obviously caught, but unwilling to admit just how long she'd been gone. "All right, I'll rephrase it. How many alternate worlds have you studied in regards to the particular situation we now find ourselves in?"

"Enough to realize what won't work and come up with a plan that might." She said defensively, not meeting his eyes until the last word was said.

"In this situation." He said sternly, holding her eyes. "You are the experienced red. You're the only one who knows what you know. You're the only one qualified to make the kind of knee jerk commands in those critical moments that are necessary to win this war and keep as many Rangers as possible alive. The rest of us will fall back on the tried and true, you're the only one who knows this situation backward and forward and you know what's gonna work and what won't."

"I can tell you what you need to know." She said, shaking her head. He didn't know what she was going to have to do to destroy those towers and fix the Equaline Wave. If she stayed, they'd need her to be alive to lead the final attack and that was something she just wasn't planning on. Tommy was gone, there was no reason to stay on Earth now, and just maybe things would go back to normal if she sacrificed herself.

Thomas said history had changed by her survival; she could change that. By following Zordon's precedent, she could give them the power they needed and possibly fix the wave at the same time. She would do her best for the Rangers and her family by seeing them safely evacuated, then she'd get them the power they needed to win the fight and destroy Teeg. Jason didn't understand yet the price that would be demanded for what had to be done; she did…so had Zordon.

"Sweetheart, we don't have time." Jason said gently.

"Tommy once said that time would never be an issue for me. I can make the time to teach you what you need to know." She argued and again he frustrated her by chuckling.

"He was right." Jason acknowledged. "But so am I. Whether you like it or not Kim, you've made yourself head red. The others are all out following your orders and when the time comes it will be you, not me, not Andros, not Carter…it's you they're all gonna look to. Tommy's not here," He continued, placing a hand on her shoulder as she blanched at the mention of her husband's name. "God help me I wish he was, but he's not, and everyone is now looking at you. I'll back you up sweetie, we all will, but you're calling this one; no one else."

"I agree." Carri said, lending her voice to the conversation. "I fought with you against Ivan, I've worked with you cross dimensionally. You're the only one who can take on both Teeg and Kemora at the same time and you know it."

"I concur as well." Billy said slowly. "You've fought all three of the enemies we face. You've apparently already worked with more than one of the teams represented here, and the reds seem willing to follow your orders. Delegation is the key, I believe, if we are to effectively utilize our strengths, and you've mastered that aspect very well."

"I can't." Kim said decisively. "I have to get things going here and then leave to find the power source we need to pull this off."

"That's the thing about being the red." Jason countered just as firmly. "Even when you can't, you still do."

The others nodded and formed a circle around her. Kim placed both hands on either side of her face and closed her eyes tightly. She wasn't Tommy, she wasn't sure at all she could pull this off and there was absolutely no wiggle room for any error.

"Sweetheart," Jason said gently and she opened her eyes to look at him. "If you're not scared, you don't understand the situation. You can do this. We all believe in you."

Again, the others nodded and she sighed helplessly. "Alright." She said softly. "Let's get started."

* * *

When Kim found her mother a half an hour later, she and Andre were unloading groceries in the driveway of their borrowed house. 

"Kim!" Her mother said with relief, rushing towards her and hugging her tightly. "I've been calling your cell phone since this morning. Where have you been? Have you seen the black monolith? The news says they're all over, there's even one outside Paris, I'm so worried about your step sisters, they're supposed to fly in later this evening and I don't even know if their plane took off…"

"Let's go inside." Kim said softly with a tense smile that made her mother pause.

"Andre and I went to the store and stocked up on water and canned foods." Her mother continued as Kim gently turned her around and guided her toward the house. "Andre thinks I'm over reacting, the news doesn't say anything about stocking up yet, but I've lived in Angel Grove before. I'm not the only one thinking this way either, the store was packed."

"Have you heard from Michael and Uncle Steven?" Kim asked in the same calm tone as they crossed the doorway.

"Yes." Her mother said, nodding and moving into the family room where Charlotte was sprawled across the couch watching a Hanna Montana DVD. "Charlotte turn that off, we need to keep the news on honey."

"But the news is sooo boring." She responded with an exaggerated groan. "All about the monolith and the weather…over and over…blah blah blah…" She said dramatically as she rolled off the couch with a thud, then bounced up to grab her DVD out of the player. "I'm gonna watch this in my room." She said with a huge pout, breezing by Kim as if her sister wasn't even there. "Even if the TV in there is super tiny and I can't see anything on it." She stomped down the hall and closed the bedroom door with a thud.

"It's not like she hasn't watched this same disk thousands of times." Andre said in his heavy accent, giving Kim a dry look. "So what has brought the most elusive little of our girls out of hiding this morning eh? Your mother has been very worried."

"Sit down." Kim said and gestured for them to sit on the couch. Only when they were seated and staring up at her expectantly did she sit in the recliner across from them and turn to face them seriously. "What I'm about to tell you is strictly confidential. I need your word that it doesn't go past this room."

"Kimberly, what's this all about?" Her mother asked in a tone that she had often used on Kim as a teenager.

"I'm deadly serious mom. What you are about to hear can go no further than this room."

"Alright." Andre said, giving her a far more serious look than her mother. "We promise to keep whatever it is you have to tell us to ourselves."

"I'm afraid that's not good enough." Kim said, her face stern and detached. "I need you both to give your word to me individually and you will both be held individually responsible for your secrecy."

"Kimberly, this is ridiculous." Her mother said, standing. "I have a trunk full of groceries to unload." She said dismissively, beginning to move past Andre. He held out a hand and moved her quietly, but firmly back in to her seat. He gave her a firm look and she exhaled loudly. "Fine. Ok, I promise not to say anything."

"As do I." Andre said, nodding his head.

"I need you to pack enough food and clothing for two weeks." Kim said without preamble. "Pack for cold as well as warm weather. You'll also need blankets, pillows and utensils."

"What?" Her mother asked and opened her mouth as if to say more, but Andre hushed her.

"Pile everything in an eight by eight space, nothing bigger. Start with mattresses with the linens attached. In exactly four hours, at…" She paused and looked at the digital display on the DVD player. "At exactly twelve forty five, be on top of that pile and don't move…not for anything. Don't be late, don't go to the bathroom, don't go to answer the phone. Stay right there and don't move. Hopefully I'll be able to get back here to help you, but if not, just hang tight and hold on."

"What?" Her mother asked, puzzled. " That's it? That's you're huge secret that we can't tell anyone?"

"I can't stay." Kim said, ignoring the question and standing up. "I still have Michael and Uncle Steven to visit as well as Grandma. Remember, not a word to anyone."

"What the hell is going on here?" Her mother asked, eyes blazing. "What are you talking about?"

"The planet's being evacuated." Kim said in a hard tone that neither her mother nor Andre had ever heard before. Standing before them, she didn't look like Kim at all, she looked hard and fierce, like a soldier. Almost like, her mother mused to herself, the boy she'd married. "I managed to find limited space for most of my family, but I can't take everyone. Not a word about this to anyone." She warned again.

"My girls…" Andre began in an almost panicked tone, but Kim nodded and cut him off.

"Have already been taken out of Paris to a secure location, as have Isabelle's husband and his parents." Kim answered, referring to her middle step sister and her husband.

"Kimberly Ann Hart." Her mother said with an angry tone. "I asked you tell me what this is all about."

"I told you, the planet's being evacuated." She said, turning for the door. "And my last name is Oliver."

* * *

Billy was beyond frustrated and it showed on both his face and in his tone with the others. After snarling at the group of intruders who had set up shop to do zord research in the back of his lab, he sat down with a thud behind his main computer consol and virtually attacked the keyboard with a venom that made it nearly rebel on him. 

There were far more refugees coming in than they had space for; and this was just the first wave of family members that they were dealing with now. They had arranged to meet with as many heads of state as could be organized and once word got out, it would be a panic the likes of which Earth had never seen. It was mind boggling.

But it was the families he had to focus on now, that was the task that Kim had assigned him to deal with first. If he got too far ahead of himself he'd simply crumple. The small task of organizing them was horrendous enough and they'd only just begun. It was blindingly painful when you looked into a Ranger's eyes and told them someone had to be excluded, that they couldn't bring everyone. So far they had caved and agreed to take on more than they should, but where did you draw the line? Your parents? Your grandparents? Your in-laws? Your cousins? How did you draw the line?

When you thought of each team of Rangers, it wasn't so bad, but then you multiplied it by three to six team members, then added parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents and it became a huge nightmare. The harsh reality that there were going to be millions out there that wouldn't survived weighed heavily on him.

Not everyone had family, as in Cole Evan's case, but then you looked at someone like Rocky's family and the list stretched out forever. A line had to be drawn. He didn't like it, but getting people into a shelter was one thing, feeding them and keeping conditions sanitary was another. It had fallen to him to draw that line. It was a god-like power he didn't like and didn't want. Kim and Jason had both given him long looks of sympathy and had backed him up at each confrontation, but it didn't make him feel any better.

"Relax." Trini crooned, coming up from behind him. He actually tensed up harder at her touch and, concerned, she slid her hands across his shoulders and tried to rub some of the knots away.

"Not now." He bristled harshly, shrugging her hands away. Then, realizing how curt he'd been, turned around, softened his eyes, and slid his arms around her waist. Leaning his head on her swelling stomach he muttered a sincere apology. At the feel of the baby, he physically began to shake. He would protect his little family with his dying breath, so how could he refuse Ranger's family? His was an impossible and horrendous task, but he had to focus on those he could save, like his wife and his baby. He couldn't think of the others, not yet anyway. There would be time for that after the last of battles was waged.

Perhaps, if they were lucky, they'd be able to save their world, but a bigger part of him knew that Kim, Carri, and Jason wouldn't be going to such lengths if they thought the odds were in their favor. And what would be left of their world if they did? He'd run the data over and over. In just the first few hours it was already impossibly hot outside. Volcanos were erupting all over the place for no reason and the melting rate of the ice at the poles was staggering. Huge tropical storms were forming off the coast of Africa, threatening to tear up the West Indies and head for the mainland in Mexico and the United States. The Pacific wasn't any better except those storms were brewing lightening and not rain. Lightening would cause fires like it had in the mid-west and when the infrastructure crumpled…

"I have to figure this out." He said, pulling back, but still keeping one hand on her belly. "If I relax, I might miss something. Level eight is going to be jammed to capacity and those bunkers just don't want to stabilize. Every level in every complex is going to be jammed with NASADA family members." He muttered angrily.

The decision by the coordinators to include the staff and scientists at the NASADA complex in the initial family evacuation hadn't set well with him. Of course, now everyone on every level, not just level eight, was looking to him to figure it out. He felt a bit guilty about being angry and resentful, but a huge part of him just wanted them to figure things out for themselves.

"I don't like seeing you so stressed." She said, running one hand in a caress through his hair. "It's too bad we can't just double the space on each level." She murmured, then frowned as he pulled back and gave her an incredulous look.

"That's it!" He said, jumping up, grabbing her head in both hands and kissing her soundly on her forehead. "You're a genius!"

"What?" She asked, as he raced out of the lab, but he didn't stop to explain himself. She sighed heavily and went to seek out the others in the scientific team who had taken over the other half of the lab to research zords and morphers.

* * *

He was cold; frozen. That was all he knew. His limbs were like solid blocks of ice; stiff and immovable. He didn't know where he was; the white, snowy mist around him obscured everything. It settled on his skin like a cold water torture; prickly, cold, and wet. There was no escape from it. 

There was nothing here except that cold, freezing mist swirling around him. No sight, no sound, just the blanket of white and the painful feel of the icy sleet. He'd stopped shivering a long time ago, his body accepting that that it would soon freeze. His heart had significantly slowed the rhythmic pumping of the congealing blood through his arteries and he wanted so desperately to sleep.

He was vaguely aware of wondering why he hadn't already succumbed to the blissful darkness that would take away the painful burning of the arctic air around him, allow him some peace. Then he remembered something. It was the thought he had told himself firmly, in a more lucent moment, that he could never forget, had to remember, but now he wasn't exactly sure why.

The memory didn't make sense to him anymore. A pair of doe brown eyes and a distant feeling of something that was warm and comforting. He didn't understand them, but continued to hold them firmly in his mind. It was a feeling of home, of his life before, but what that life was, he didn't know anymore; just as he no longer knew who he was or why he had been subjected to the mists around him. He replayed the memory over and over again, just as he had done before the cold consumed him, simply because that was what he'd been doing before. Perhaps later, when the cold left him, he'd remember why.

Numbly, he began to realize that the mist was more wet than cold; the moisture had begun beading against his skin rather than freezing to it. A fierce, aching pain began to shoot through his frozen limbs; the kind of pain that comes when you pour hot water over cold fingers. It was worse than being on fire. It was almost as if the rigid, frozen limbs would snap off; like the crust of a log breaking in two after the flame had consumed it.

That's when the sound hit him; shrill and penetrating. It tore through his already addled mind, threatening to tear it apart. He tried to cover his ears with his hands, but his limbs were still too frozen and full of the thawing pain to obey him; they remained fixed to his sides in the last place he'd commanded them to stay.

Fervently, he forced his mind to remember the eyes, the feeling of warmth and home. It was a tenuous memory at best now, drifting back into the realm of a dreamlike quality, but still he held onto it fiercely; holding on to it as if life itself depended on keeping it safe and alive within him.

Anger assaulted him then. Anger that someone would wake him from the oblivion that had come to mercifully take him, anger that the reality of the memory was seemingly more dreamlike than real, anger at the pain coursing through his thawing extremities, anger at the screeching sound that tore his mind apart as effectively as a shredder cruelly eating a thin piece of paper.

Like a dog who had been whipped to the breaking point, he lashed out at the pain, only to have that same precious memory of warmth and security mock him from behind those half remembered brown eyes. It was only a dream, he decided, one that continued to haunt him as he slowly emerged back into the reality of life.

He was awake now, he realized as the strident noise ceased it's assault, but where he was and who had wakened him remained to be seen. Anger, frustration, and even a sadness, a kind of grief over the loss of his dream, assaulted him. Through the confusion, a trumpeting music found its way to his mind, replacing the painful screeching. It embraced him; high and clear and melodic. He knew that music, remembered it with a sigh that reached every part of his body. Dragonzord, welcoming him after so long of an absence.

This was his true homing he realized, not the strange, foreign eyes and soft warmth. A new kind of warmth penetrated him now, hot and unyielding and he thrilled to it as the power coursed through his thawing limbs. He still wasn't sure where he was or who had saved him from oblivion. All he knew, as the frost melted slowly away from his ice scorched eyes and the dim room around him slowly swirled into focus, was that he was back…and this time he'd destroy them all.

* * *

"That's not gonna leave a whole hell of a lot of head room." Jason said, eyes perusing Billy's rough, hand scratched sketches. 

"We need capacity, not height. This will allow us to take in everyone on our lists now and then some."

"But will we be able to power that space? Keep it filtered as well as the huge list of everything else you need?"

"My criteria shouldn't need to be altered that dramatically." Billy said, shuffling through his notes to find the page he needed. He'd been searching out Kim, but finding himself in the middle of a huge crowd, all demanding her attention, he'd turned to Jason and Carri. "I have the ability to filter the main power grid through the Cridarian crystal grid in Zordon's old storage unit. That combined with the other sources we're utilizing should boost our own power grid and allow for a limited, but stable utilization on each new sub-level… at least enough to keep the air filtration and sanitation units operational…lighting might be a little dim, but we can make do."

"Will that compromise the Command Center at all?" Carri asked.

"No, it shouldn't." Billy answered. "Not significantly anyway."

"So you're proposing that we effectively create a whole new floor on each level of every building." Jason said, absently rubbing his chin while thinking."

"It will double the space we have and allow us to use the bunkers to store food supplies and other material."

"Yeah, but anyone over six feet isn't gonna be able to stand up straight." Carri said, thinking of her dad and some of her cousins.

"Well then we're going to have to choose." Billy snapped, causing the others to look up from the drawings. "Do we want them to be able to stand up straight or live through this?"

Carri glanced at Jason, who returned her look. "I think the answer is obvious." She returned.

"Then I'll get started." Billy said, gathering his notes. "I'm going to need to utilize most of the Rangers on base to get this done before the families begin to arrive." He looked up and Jason nodded at him.

"Take whoever you need, but we have to have everyone inside before we brief the world council in New York." He said gruffly. Billy nodded and turned, leaving as quickly as he'd descended upon them.

"Have we decided who's gonna do that briefing?" Carri asked.

"Kim." Jason said firmly.

"Anyone told her that?"

"Nope." He answered, giving her a wry look. "She's got enough to worry about right now."

* * *

Kim's mother was screaming. High and loud and nothing her husband or her former brother in law did could stop her. 

"It's alright…" Trini was saying in an overly calm voice as Kim raced into the transport area. "I understand how frightening the first transport can be, but you're safe now and we need you to move away from your possessions so the boys can take them to your assigned space."

Kim didn't stop to think what she was doing, she simply marched over to her mother and slapped her hard across the face, causing those around her to protest her actions.

"I'm sorry." She said brusquely, and she honestly was, but they were already massively behind schedule and she didn't want her family getting extra time at the expense of someone else's family. "We don't have time for this. Pull yourself together. There are a lot of other people waiting in line and they can't be transported in until this area is clear. Do what they tell you to now and have your meltdown later."

"I'm pregnant." Her mother hissed at her. Starring at her daughter as if she were a stranger. Kim was dressed in a grey uniform not unlike those that the Astro team had used years ago, making her look far more severe and authoritative than she normally would have been otherwise. It was simpler, they had decided, and everyone could tell at a glance who was a Ranger and what color they were. "What if that….that…_process_…harmed my baby." Her mother stammered.

"Then it would be a first in galactic history." Kim said sternly, omitting that it still happened in one out of every ten thousand or so transports of pregnant women. "Now pick yourself up and move." She turned on her heel and would have marched off to deal with the seemingly thousands of questions and demands people were making of her, when her communicator chirped. Oblivious to her family staring at her, she stopped up short and answered it.

"We've got a problem." Jason's voice came through.

"What now?" She responded, voice weary and exasperated with all that was going on. She had bent time too closely again and way too many times. Between that and the stress of everything going on, she was ready to drop. The only thing that kept her upright was the knowledge that, if she sat down, the pain and loss of grief she was holding at bay would overwhelm her. She wasn't sure she'd be able to get up again after that; so she kept going.

"Monster." Jason said curtly. "A rather nasty one too."

"I'm on my way." Kim answered and transported out in a flash of pink and red light, leaving her family staring open mouthed behind her.

* * *

"How the hell are we gonna fight those things without morphing powers?" Carri asked as Kim transported in. 

"What things?" She asked, walking over to join her team mates at the consol. The lack of Tommy's presence in the room was like a massive void. Everything in it reminded her of him and the grief once more tired to creep through her determination to destroy Teeg and Kemora. She didn't want to live; it was that simple. The void was just too great and the borrowed time she'd taken hadn't healed it. All the power in the universe would never be enough to fill the emptiness her husband had left behind. She had fought the pit to come back to him, to join her life with his, now she wanted to curl up in a ball and let life go on without her. Taking a deep breath to strengthen her resolve once more, she reminded herself that she had no time for self pity or grief; no one did. She had a job to do and she would finish it.

"Super charged claybots." Jason muttered angrily. "The kind the towers produce."

"Do we have anyone with a working morpher yet?" Kim asked.

"Working morphers we have an abundance of." Billy answered, busily tapping on his consol. "It's the grids that are the problem."

"They all communicate with one another," Adam said with a frustrated look. "In the past, that was an advantage. You could stabilize one grid by asking for help from another. In this case though, when one came down with Teeg's virus, they all crashed."

"Any luck decontaminating them?" She asked hopefully, but Billy shook his head.

An alarm blared and they looked up in unison to the viewing screen to watch the monster tearing up the dock area of the industrial section. Kim started to say something, then stopped as her communicator chirped once again. Her shoulders sank and she closed her eyes, letting out a short exasperated sigh. Her communicator had chirped nonstop the last few hours and she was seriously beginning to hate the sound of it. Steeling herself, she forced her voice to answer politely.

"I've had a communication." Karone's voice said on the other end. Kim looked up and met Jason's eyes with a surprised look.

"Transport to the Command Center." Kim said, then watched as her friend walked out of the beam that appeared in front of her. "What kind of communication?" she asked, but Karone paused momentarily and looked uneasily at the faces around her. "This is no time for secrets Karone." Kim said, trying her best to keep the frustration and fatigue out her voice. "We need to share data willingly or we put everyone at a disadvantage."

Satisfied, Karone shrugged. "It doesn't make any sense." She said, addressing Kim and ignoring the others. This was her project. She'd share the information, but she didn't have to like it. "All he said was: _There are four colors in the rainbow._"

"Who said?" Carri asked. "And what's that mean? There are four colors in the rainbow. Some kind of code?"

"Duh." Karone said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She didn't know Carri very well, despite the fact the she and Kim were very good friends, and she wasn't exactly keen on getting to know her either. They'd had one or two run-ins since she'd volunteered to cover for Carri; neither of them had been warm and fuzzy. Carri's eyes narrowed, but she held her tongue.

"My spy." Kim answered, ignoring the raised eyebrows around her and thinking carefully. She inhaled deeply and pressed the bottom of her palms against her eyes. "Four colors…_four colors_…oh my god!" She shouted, hands coming down and eyes meeting Jason's head on. "Teeg's got four Rangers!"

"Kemora only took three hostages." Carri said, jumping down from the unused counter she'd been sitting on and coming up next to Rocky. "And Elemi told you she only had three coins."

"But Teeg has Tommy…and the Dragonzord coin was the first one she went after when she broke loose from the dimensional barrier." Kim said softly, honestly not knowing whether to hope or be terrified.

"Teeg would never use Tommy." Rocky said. "He's too powerful as an evil Ranger."

"That's just the party line we told the others." Jason said stoically. He had added that phrase as a tribute to his friend; who he thought was already dead. It was something to propagate the myth of the man and propel him further into legend. His mind was reeling. If Tommy was an evil Ranger again…they'd barely defeated him the last time…and this time around they were without their powers. "Where would she get another Power Coin?" He asked.

"There are hundreds of them." Kim responded, obviously reeling herself. At his astonished look she added what she'd formerly only confided in Tommy. "Zordon had hundreds of fakes, each of them usable to make a Ranger, but only six of them able to unlock the Demon King. Either Teeg's clued into the fakes, or she thinks she's ahead of the game."

"If Tommy's under her control….how do we fight that?" Carri asked. She didn't want to face Oliver on the mat in a friendly practice, facing him as an evil Ranger without her own Ranger powers…that was too much to come to grips with.

"We don't know that for sure." Trini said. "Teeg could have used Kemora…or someone else we don't know about."

"Kemora doesn't need morphing powers." Kim said softly, as in a daze. She was still grappling with the idea that Tommy could possibly be alive. Even if he was evil, she'd take it. It meant he wasn't dead; gone forever beyond her reach. If he was evil, that could explain why she hadn't been able to feel him, to reach out and touch him through the Power. He'd kept the part of him that he believed was still the evil green Ranger tightly locked away inside him; never allowing her to touch it. It was the reason he avoided those times when the Power merged them together, why he shied away from that total and complete embrace that they occasionally experienced. "And Tommy as an evil Ranger wouldn't be too much of a burden for Teeg. She's extremely powerful… you guys have no idea how powerful she really is…"

"We're about to find out." Billy said with an edge of dread that they all heard. Coming together behind the viewing screen they saw the band of Rangers appear alongside the monster.

Three of them looked exactly like their Mighty Morphin counterparts: black, yellow, and blue. Their uniforms were nearly identical except for a thick band of black separating the white diamonds from the color. Somewhere, in the recesses of her mind, Kim had the stray thought that they would have been more imposing if their boots and gloves had also been black, but it was a stray thought at best and over in an instant when her eyes focused in on a very familiar form, in a green uniform, with a sparkling gold shield.

"Ninjettis…" She said in a raspy voice. "Prepare to transport. The rest of you stay here and figure out a way to decontaminate those grids."

* * *

Kim was vaguely aware of the hot wind blowing in mighty gusts off the water. It whistled through the industrial section, howling eerily like a swarm of banshees before pummeling into them. Jason and Carri had fallen back to the rear, warily crouching in their Ninjetti uniforms and circling around for the first sign of the Rangers. 

Billy had ignored her order to transport them directly in front of the group, instead opting for a tactically better position for the trio to sneak up on the evil Rangers from the side. But sneaking wasn't on Kim's agenda. The Ninjetti were no match for morphed Rangers and the Mighty Morphins were more powerful than anyone gave them credit for. They had originated on Eltar and had fought countless battles across the universe before Zordon had brought them to Earth. They were an old team, an old uniform, but that didn't make them obsolete or the other powers better or stronger.

Tommy wouldn't be fooled by their transport off to the side. He was unusually sensitive to the Power; both sides of it. He'd know, he'd feel the transport of the three Ninjetti even if he didn't actually see the signatures. As the other two continued with their cautious approach, Kim walked almost casually, head high, seemingly unconcerned for the danger they were facing.

"That's far enough!" A male voice snarled and a second later the Ninjetti were face to face with the three evil Mighty Morphins. Kim's mind whirled, she honestly couldn't tell who's voice had spoken to her, Josh or Zane, but it was the black Ranger who had spoken.

"I don't deal with lackeys." Kim said caustically, pulling off her Ninjetti hood and revealing her face. The three stepped back in confusion, obviously mistaking her for Kemora. Good to know, she thought, Teeg hadn't handed over Lerigot's key yet. If she had, the three in front of her wouldn't have recognize her. Unless, of course, Teeg had left them with their memories, but there was no precedent for that and it wasn't her style. She wanted her fighters completely loyal, not warbling over half forgotten memories of loved ones.

"Then deal with me." A hauntingly familiar voice growled. Before she had time to react, the green and gold clad Ranger had leapt from nowhere directly in front of her. He landed so close that the other two jumped back, but Kim held her ground. She needed no confirmation of the green Ranger's identity, even in this evil state her heart lurched. The look of the way he filled his uniform, the way he moved, the very aura he possessed told her more than she needed to know.

"I face you with honor, unarmed and unmasked, and this is how you greet me?" Kim challenged, voice hard and far more confident than she felt. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing. With her Muirantian powers, she was more a match for him than he realized, but she didn't want to fight just yet. She needed time. They weren't ready for this unforeseen contingency yet. "What kind of a warrior are you?" She bated.

"We have no need for preamble." The green Ranger snarled. "We've fought one another before."

"And how do I know this?" She asked in an almost bored tone. Inside she was crumbling, but she kept herself firmly in check; heartbeat regular. It was like dealing with an alternate. If she could keep her cool, treat him as if he wasn't hers, maybe she'd have a chance. Tommy couldn't be beaten by force; he was too powerful. She'd have to out maneuver him, but for that she needed time. "For all I know you're simply a poor replacement wearing a real warrior's old uniform; a shadow puppet, doing nothing more than playing by his master's strings." Her words were sarcastic and mocking and she could see his muscles twitch ever so slightly below the surface of his uniform.

At her words, Carri and Jason edged forward. She could feel Jason's silent, burning questions, but she kept her focus and concentration on the unpredictable evil warrior in front of her.

"I assure you, I'm no puppet." The green Ranger growled, sword brought to ready in front of him. Kim's eyes narrowed on the sword, taking in every aspect of it. Rita might have taken her predecessor hostage and used her powers, but she wasn't very original. She edged ever so slightly to the side in Carri's direction so that Jason could have a better view and the green Ranger in front of her mirrored her motion, wearily ready for an attack.

"If you're no puppet," Kimberly hissed, surprising herself with how much she sounded like Kemora "Then prove it. Face me respectfully at the onset of battle without your mask." The other three evil Rangers again shuffled behind him, but his stance remained firm.

She didn't know why she said it. She needed no confirmation of who he was, she simply wanted to see him, to know, without doubt, that she wasn't dreaming, that he was alive, no matter what kind of nightmare he'd returned to.

Slowly, almost gracefully, he sheathed his sword and pivoted backward. He was still ready to spring at any moment, she could see his muscles move tightly beneath the shimmering fabric. He stood there silently, regarding her, then slowly reached up and unlatched his helmet. Lifting it from his head, he stood tall and imposing, eyes cold and hard as ice. The same evil eyes that had terrified her as a girl. The evil eyes he'd hid from in his nightmares for more than ten years.

"Guess who's back." He snarled.


	18. Chapter 18: Descending Into Chaos

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 18: Descending Into Chaos

* * *

In Chapter 18: What hasn't been destroyed by natural disasters caused by Teeg's towers is being ripped apart by her evil Rangers. Now the focus must shift on preserving what can be saved and somehow liberate not only their friends, but the world.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself.

_**All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

* * *

Kim's heart was pounding as the three Ninjetti re-entered the Command Center. Tommy was alive. It didn't matter how, it didn't matter why. He was alive…and that changed everything. 

"I don't get it." Carri said, pulling her hood back and finding her way over to Rocky's side. "He didn't attack, there was no fight."

"It was an honorable meeting on the battlefield." Jason said, fatigue clearly showing through in his voice as he pulled his own hood back. "An acknowledgement that both forces are Rangers and will fight as Rangers; despite the fact that the other guys are on Teeg's side."

"So that's it? We just draw an invisible line in the sand and challenge them to cross it?" She asked with more than a little frustration.

"Tommy drew the line." He responded. "He's got more power on his side and he knows it. There's no honor in attacking a weak enemy…until that enemy decides to strike first. He'll wait and see what we do next, then he'll try and crush us as quickly as possible; which won't be too hard unless we can get a grid up and running." He said, giving Adam a sardonic look.

"Did you see the sword?" Kim asked wearily, leaning against the concrete wall of the chamber. She had removed her own hood and rubbed her temples absently with shaking fingers. Jason turned and met her eyes uneasily; noting the calm pose and also the tell tale signs of her heat signatures; which indicated both the fatigue they all felt as well as a nervous adrenaline surge.

"I saw it." He said gruffly. "You remember how hard it was to destroy that thing the first time?" He asked and she nodded. "Three Ninjetti aren't gonna get very far against him, you know that."

"You and I didn't have Muirantian powers last time." She answered, taking a deep breath and pushing away from the wall. "Alright guys, let's put our heads together and figure this out. We can't beat Tommy by force, we're gonna have to out think him."

"Oh gee." Carri said mordantly. "And I thought this was gonna be hard…"

* * *

Kira made a small disgusted sound as the blue and black Rangers tore apart a viratron they had usurped for target practice. The screeching sound in her head increased its volume, just as it had when they were face to face on the planet's surface against the Ninjetti; she nearly visibly winced from the pain of it. She didn't understand the excruciating sound, it only seemed to hit her at the oddest times; the times when she should be relishing the evil power coursing through her. 

Although painful, it also was distantly familiar. It wasn't like the roar of the Sabertooth tiger, urging her into a bloody attack. It was high pitched, almost birdlike, but no bird Kira knew of could make that kind of high volume scream. It was that scream that prevented her from lunging into an attack against the Ninjetti when she'd first spotted them and it was the same scream that made her sick to her stomach as she watched the two men tear apart the viratron.

Something deep inside her was preventing her from relishing the most wicked feelings, feelings that she knew she should be savoring, but she didn't know why. It was a seriously dangerous complication and one she knew their mistress would have no qualms about killing her over. As the Viratron fell into a bloody disembodied mess on the metal floor, the scream once again rocked her, making her physically ill.

"You have a problem with the destruction of an underling?" Tommy snarled. He'd seen her wince, heard the disgusted sound she made. In truth, he commiserated with her feeling at the site, but he would not tolerate dissention in one of his Rangers.

"It's a waste of resources." She responded with equal venom, meeting his eyes and challenging him to accuse her of being weak. "They could have used one of the claybots. Viratrons are more difficult to replace. To destroy one for no other reason than target practice is a misuse of valuable time both in capturing and converting them."

"Claybots don't bloody the way viratrons do." He answered evenly, but with a distinct warning in his tone. " A Ranger won't disintegrate the way a claybot does. The body will tear, blood will spill, and they will continue to rebound even when they are near death. Better to learn to revel in the bloodlust now than be confused by it when it counts most."

Kira narrowed her eyes in what she hoped was a scowl. The scream inside her head had grown so loud she could hear nothing else. Tommy retuned her gaze coldly and at last she jerked her eyes away. "I still say it's a waste of resources so close to battle." She responded, then turned and strode purposely down the corridor and away from the mauling.

As Tommy watched her go his eyes narrowed. He wasn't fooled at all, she was repulsed by the mauling, not the waste. He understood. He knew his duty, knew what his mistress desired of him and the other Rangers and, for the most part, reveled in the glory of the destruction to come. Yet there was also…something.

The ghostlike eyes that had haunted him since his awakening floated just outside his consciousness, then disappeared, once more taunting him just beyond his grasp. He knew now whose eyes they were, the sight of them in living flesh, staring back at him from across the battlefield had been disconcerting. They were her eyes; his enemy. Yet why they should unsettle him, he didn't understand. There was something about her that he had to remember, something about that memory that made the sight of the mutilated viratron in front of him repulse him as much as it had Kira. His fist clenched in frustration and, as he looked down at it, he was startled to see it slowly disappear.

* * *

"So…in plain English?" Conner asked. Hayley was briefing Kim and Jason on her findings and, even though he technically wasn't on this particular committee, it was his former teammates they were discussing. Ethan and Trent had also found their way into the meeting and both of them appeared as eager for news as he was. 

Trent was obviously, visibly, upset over Kira. Although she had confided in Conner that things between them had been on again-off again and fading in the years since high school, and were most definitely over since she'd dropped by his house only to find him occupied with someone else, her former boyfriend restlessly paced the small room; agitated and waiting for the worst to happen. Something about his friend's attitude irritated him. If he was so damned concerned and desperate for her, why'd he go out and cheat on her just before she'd been kidnapped? He dismissed his disgruntled feelings as soon as he noticed them. It was none of his business what his former teammates did or didn't do with each other and, despite their friendship, Trent's moodiness had always annoyed him.

Conner had his own guilty feelings to grapple with. It had been his idea to go to the coffee shop and he felt it was his failure as a Ranger that had led to her abduction. That's why he was so worried about her; at least, that's what he told himself.

"What I'm saying is that the Dinogems are bonded to the Dino Thunder team's DNA. It's not like a coin that utilizes the Ranger's energy, then retreats. The gems actually fused with the DNA and altered it. Which is why you've all retained a small portion of your powers even though the gems are technically defunct. They're a primeval form of morphing crystal, not meant for human use, so it's doubtful that Teeg knows about them or, even if she does, it's unlikely she'd know much about them or suspect Tommy had utilized them."

"Wouldn't Dr. O or Kira just tell her?" Ethan asked.

"No." Kim said firmly, shaking her head. "Teeg doesn't leave her minions with their memories, it's too dangerous they'd turn back. They'll simply wake up knowing they're her slaves and nothing else."

"So you think the Dino gem residue could counteract the Dragonzord coin?" Jason asked seriously; that could save them a world of hurt in the long run if all they had to do was wait for Tommy to switch back sides on his own.

"No." Hayley said regretfully, shaking her head, and several pairs of shoulders slumped. "The gems simply don't have that much power left in them, and the residues inside Kira and Tommy are minute, but it might confuse them, make them think twice about performing an evil act or revolt them if they watch someone else perform an evil act. It might be disconcerting enough that…well, there's a good chance it might slow them down a bit. If we think it through, maybe we could use that to our advantage."

"Believe me," Jason said with feeling, "We're gonna need to utilize every weakness we can against Tommy.

"I agree." Hayley said. "He's not only a powerful Ranger, he's capable of making one-eighty leaps in strategy that are so totally, bafflingly, successful they leave you scratching your head and wondering how he did it."

"And that's when he's working for the good side and doesn't have any reservations about getting mean and nasty. " Adam added. "I haven't forgotten what it was like after Gasket finished with him." He said when Jason gave him a curious look.

"Is there any way we can umf up the power in the gems?" Conner asked.

"Umf?" Ethan countered, smiling even though the situation really didn't call for it.

"You know, power 'em up, charge 'em a little." Conner defended.

"Oh my god…I'd so forgotten your terminology." Ethan chuckled.

"I'm serious." Conner pressed. "If we can somehow get enough power to the part of the Dinogems that're still inside Dr. O and Kira… maybe that would snap them out of it."

"Dude, it's just not that simple." Ethan said gently. "You're talking residues and mutated genes…those things really don't _charge up_." He didn't want to offend his friend, but neither Dr. O nor Kira actually had their gems on them and you couldn't just plug in a cell and charge it like a battery.

"That might actually work." Hayley said, chewing her lip as she thought over the idea.

"It would?" Ethan asked, stunned.

"Yes…but the question is if we have the time to devote to creating a power source specific enough and powerful enough to charge the cellular markers left by the gem."

"Unless you can pull it off in the next hour," Jason said seriously "We don't have time to monkey with it. Are we all agreed at this point that we need to first try our hand at destroying that sword?"

There was a reluctant nod among those assembled and the topic switched back to the problem of the grids. As Billy filled them in on the progress, or lack thereof, in decontaminating Earth's network, Kim leaned over to Hayley and very quietly told her to pursue the idea of charging the gems. Conner had only heard the comment because he was sitting close, but it was somehow reassuring to know that Kim took his ideas seriously; like Dr. O had.

He didn't know much about Tommy's girlfriend, or wife as it turned out to be, other than his mentor got downright goofy when he talked about her, but the other reds were surprisingly unanimous in their support. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

As Carri walked down the restricted hallway out of Billy's lab, she was shocked to see it guarded by Wes and Eric's Silver Guardians. They nodded at her uniform, saluted, and then let her pass into the main section of level eight. The old conference rooms had been turned into living quarters for the unmarried, active duty Rangers, which was odd enough to see, but at the entrance to the hall, where a great looming warehouse space should have stood, she stopped in stunned wonder. 

Gone was the looming industrial warehouse shell and in its place was a dead end into a staircase marked "Level 2" with an arrow pointing upward. To her right, under the corner of the first flight of stairs was a sign marked "Level 1: CAUTION, Low Ceiling."

Stunned, she stood there for a second, wondering what she should do. Finally, she turned to one of the Silver Guardians asked, "Uhm, my family is in six-oh-nine through six-sixteen."

"Yes mam." The Guardian said, giving her a crisp salute which caused her to raise an amused eyebrow. "Level two, third corridor to the left. Mam." He said, saluted again and resumed his post.

"Oh-kay…" Carri said quietly, almost under her breath. Trying her absolute best not to crack a wiseass remark, she nodded at the guard and slowly ascended the staircase.

She was so tired. It honestly wasn't funny how tired she was and it was barely dinner time on the first day. Power help them if she actually had to fight before getting a few hours rest. Jason had ordered her eat and then get to bed, but she wanted to check in on her parents first.

She had been there to see them transported in, but had had to leave the responsibility of seeing them settled to Kat. This kind of scenario was her cousin's element, so she wasn't too worried, and neither Kim nor Jason had been able to help their families get settled in either, but it chaffed at her.

This was not going to be easy for her mom at all. She'd already received more than one report that she was unhappy with the small accommodations and wanted to complain to a higher authority that they needed more space. Carri had finally sent back a curt, handwritten note which informed her mother that this was a shelter, not the Four Seasons, and to deal with it. In retrospect, she felt a bit bad about the note, but she honestly hadn't had two seconds to do something about it until now.

She could only imagine how much of a handful her mom had been. Rebecca Hillard was not well liked among the Hillard's. They considered her too big for her britches and more than a little snooty. Of course, it hadn't helped that her mother had gotten stinking drunk at the last reunion and lectured them about how she and her husband had simply outgrown the simpleness the rest of the family and how they had risen above them to embrace a higher tier of society. The little speech had gone over like a lead weight dropped into the ocean and her mom had been specifically uninvited to every event since.

Because the evacuation had occurred over a matter of hours and not days, all the families had been grouped together for simplicity's sake. This put her mother in close proximity to her dad's mother and siblings. Carri could only imagine how well that one went over.

As she reached the new second story, a floor that had been created in the short few hours since she'd been in the Command Center, she was further stunned to see how open it seemed. Looking up, the ceiling gave the illusion of being much higher than she knew it actually was and as she moved down the narrow halls, she realized that it was actually a picture on a screen of some type.

She stopped and reached up, hand coming in contact with a soft, filmy substance just less than a foot overhead. If she was five-six, the top story would have to be just over six feet. She grinned at the brilliance of the last minute addition. No one knew for sure how long the families would be down here. By giving them the illusion that the ceilings were much higher, people would feel far more comfortable in the tight space. She marveled again at the engineering team in charge of the makeshift shelter, then concentrated on finding the correct hallway housing her family.

* * *

"I don't care that we're in the middle of an emergency," Emily yelled over the guards who were blocking the entrance to the level eight elevators. "I have an emergency. Did you even call him? You said to come back in half an hour and it's been forty-five minutes. The base will be in total lock down if I wait any longer." 

Jason paused, coming up from behind her. She was nuts. She had to be nuts. He watched as she continued to argue with the guards, marveling that they hadn't gone ahead and hauled her off by now. But that was the thing about NASADA; everybody knew everybody or at least knew someone who did. He knew the rumors that had spread like wildfire about her dating one of the Rangers on level eight; even if it wasn't exactly the truth…and even if they made her furious.

"Just call again." She said demanded, the anger clear in her voice. "I'm running out of time here." She argued.

"I'm right here." He said with what he'd hoped was a comical tone, but all that showed through in his voice was weariness. She whirled around and closed her eyes in relief, obviously far more happy to see him than she'd ever been. "What's up?" He asked evenly.

"Oh thank god…" She sighed in relief, brushing off the guards and striding towards him. "When I think of all those days you just show up and follow me around and then when I actually need you to show up, you're nowhere to be seen." She scolded, coming to a stop in front of him. He waved the guards away and they gratefully returned to other assignments.

"We've been having a slight problem lately, maybe you've noticed?" He asked sarcastically.

"I can't get my Uncle Ernie onto level five." She said without preamble.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because it's restricted to parents and siblings… I don't have parents and siblings. I have one uncle. Just one." She said, holding up her index finger for emphasis. Tears of frustration began to spill down her cheeks and her voice cracked as she tried to hurriedly explain. "They gave my slots to other people because I don't have parents and siblings, but they won't take in the only family I have." She said, finally covering her face with her hands as she gave into the emotion behind her words.

Jason couldn't take it. He'd always been a sucker for female tears, a weakness Kim was extremely good at exploiting, and the hours and hours of worry and stress had finally began to take their toll. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to break down while he patted her back and wondered about the fifteen thousand things he really needed to be doing besides comforting an ex-girlfriend who'd made it very clear she didn't want him back.

"Can't you do something?" She asked between sobs, taking her hands away from her face and standing up to plead with him. "He was always really good to you guys."

"Where is he?" He asked gently.

"Still at the airport in Sydney. They've grounded all the flights because of the weather there and I haven't been able to reach him on his cell for over an hour… but he said he was staying put."

"Alright. I can't force the powers that be on level five to take him." He said gently, putting his hand up when she started to protest, "But what I can do is find him a bunk somewhere on level eight."

"That's fine…that's perfect." She stammered in relief, tears spilling again down her cheeks. "But can you get him here in time for the lockdown?"

"Yeah." Jason nodded, "I'm sure we can. What room assignment have you been given on five? I can call you when we get him here." He asked and paused as she simply stared at him.

"Uhm…well, that might be another problem. Dr. Franzstien said if I didn't remove myself from this bunker and go to my assigned area immediately, she'd reassign my space." She said quietly, wiping the tears from her face. "That was about an hour ago."

"Shit." He responded with feeling. Franzstien wasn't someone who'd give her any quarter, especially given the rumors she was associated with level eight. "Okay, plan B."

* * *

"Give it to me straight." Carri said harshly as Billy circumvented the issue and tried overly hard to be diplomatic. "What the hell did you do to my mother?" 

She had found her mom, at least it looked like her mom, happily hanging her picture frames from their family room all over the walls of their small cubical. She had smiled at Carri, hugged Carri, made pleasant small talk with Carri… and totally freaked her out. It was like her mother was floating along in some psychedelic dream. She hadn't even noticed that her brother was missing. Her father had simply nodded from his place on the bed/couch as if nothing was amiss and they were totally fine.

"Carri," Billy said roughly, but not without sympathy, "You're mother's an alcoholic." He said plainly. "And she's seriously addicted to several prescription drugs that should never be used in combination with each other."

"Tell me something I don't know." She replied brusquely and he paused and regarded her for a second, as if he'd been expecting her to deny it and was caught off guard by her openness.

"My mom was never what you'd call a _nice_ person." Carri elaborated, eyes hardening but keeping her voice level. "Think my temper turned on twenty-four seven. I'm a poodle in comparison. Anyway, when I was about eight, her friends got her into 'chill pills' which mellowed her a little and allowed her to put up with the onslaught of my brother's teen years as well as my dad's antics with his actresses." She paused a second, eyes looking up to the ceiling and staying there a moment before she allowed them to come back and down and meet his head on. "By the time I hit the teen years and totally drove her over the edge, the pills weren't working as well for her and several of them had been taken off the market. That's when the martinis for breakfast started."

"And your father didn't notice?"

"Are you kidding?" she retorted. "She'd get totally mellow on him. Her temper just melted into the floor and she'd be almost fun to be around sometimes, that's how I conned her into paying for karate lessons. That's also when she started collecting all those pictures, wanting to travel, and throwing parties and stuff. It's only really gotten bad in the last few years, but Josh and I aren't at home anymore to say anything and I think dad's just given up." She paused, hand on hip, tapping her foot rhythmically. "So what the hell did you do to her?"

"She began to get extremely agitated within the first hour of her arrival." He responded, sitting down on his lab stool with a heavy sigh. "We were getting multiple reports of screaming and other frantic behavior; throwing things, crying…" He paused as if he was going to say something else, then apparently decided not to. "When Kat decided she couldn't control her, the Silver Guardians were called in and they sedated her and brought her in here. It was obvious she was sick Carri." He said, eyes searching hers to see if she understood. "The computer put her through a detox cycle, which woke her up a little, but when she became agitated and afraid again, the computer recommended we give her a sedative that will keep her mellow and in a state where we can control her until she can fully detoxify her system."

"So you basically drugged her again." She said flatly, foot tapping a little harder against the concrete floor.

"It's a non toxic substance and it will help her deal with the withdrawal systems she's still experiencing as well as the stressful situation we're all in." Billy said calmly, but firmly. "Carri , I don't have time to deal with a detox patient, neither do you. The good news is, she's happy and content and she'll have very little memory of the shelter."

"And my dad? He seems pretty mellow too."

"I think your dad understands the situation. We've told him what I've told you and he's agreed to take care of her and continue administering the medicine on the schedule we gave him. He really doesn't have a choice. We can't keep them here if she causes trouble."

Carri's eyes found the ceiling again, but this time stayed there. She loved her mom, even though she'd been the cause of a lot of her grief. She was honestly more than a little embarrassed, but she was grateful too. "Fine." She said at last, eyes misting traitorously. "I'm sorry she was so much trouble."

"It's not any trouble Carri." He said gently. "Now my mother…" He added with a tired grin, "My mother nearly took out the entire electrical system on the first floor within her first five minutes here…that was trouble. I've actually been wrestling with the idea of sedating her as well."

The side of Carri's mouth twitched a bit, but she didn't smile in return. The day had been too long and they weren't even close to getting the job done yet. "I'm gonna go get an hour or two of sleep." She said, surprised by the choking hoarseness of her voice. Billy nodded in understanding and she quickly teleported out to her sleeping quarters with Rocky in the Command Center.

Alone in his lab for the first time since the Red Assembly adjourned, Billy leaned against the counter and rubbed his eyes roughly with his fingers. He needed sleep as well, who knew what was coming at them next. Absently, he keyed the security panel which would tell him where his wife was and marveled at the thousands of dots, indicating the masses of people they had transported into the NASADA complex. The dots covered his entire screen, telling him virtually nothing, and yet they still had two and a half hours before the world leaders were informed that they'd need to begin their own evacuations.

The panic that was coming was mind boggling. Justin Stewart and a few other computer wizards were putting steps into place that would freeze the world trade systems and the banking systems while the leaders were in conference with the Rangers. They had already begun backing up as much of the networks as they could, hopefully turning them back on right where they'd left off, but Billy was less than convinced it would completely work. The systems they were monkeying with needed an infrastructure, simply turning the switch on and off was risky at best and would really only be successful if they saved their world, but if they had to evacuate it wouldn't matter anyway.

The idea of a world evacuation made his head spin. Saving everyone would be impossible, but he couldn't let his mind go there. They had done the best they could with the families at both NASADA and Lightspeed and soon the fate of the rest of the population would be up to their world leaders; Power help them. Andros had begun negotiating for a place for them to go if they failed against Teeg; it was the best they could do.

Absently, he tapped a few buttons and the dots disappeared, leaving only his wife's signature. She was in their assigned sleeping space inside his lab, which startled him as he hadn't seen her come back in. Shutting the monitor down and locking his main terminal, he stood up and stretched. If he could get a good hour or two of sleep, he'd be far better for it.

* * *

"Tell me why there's someone I don't know in here." Kim said uneasily, turning her chair around. Carri slid off the counter where she'd been sitting and came to stand next to her chair, giving Jason the same curiously incredulous look Kim did. Rocky wasn't in their quarters, but Kim was in the main room, so she'd detoured once again to talk to her friend about her mom and her brother and have a shoulder to lean on. 

"Kim…Emily, Emily…Kim. Carri…Emily, Emily…Carri." Jason said gruffly by way of introduction. Kim raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking him what the hell he had in mind by bringing a non-Ranger into the Command Center and Emily shifted nervously. She had a good idea where they were and anxiously wrapped her hands uncertainly around Jason's arm. "I've got a personal problem and I need you to intervene." He said by way of explanation.

"Oh-kay." Kim said slowly, shifting into a pose that wasn't angry, but wasn't happy either. Since when did Jason come to her to ok something? Normally he just did what he wanted and told her later.

She inhaled deeply and held it, willing patience for the ten thousandth time in the last hour. She was tired of the problems people were bringing her; she had her own overwhelming issues to deal with. In truth, the Assembly had done an incredible job with organizing and implementing the evacuation of their families. However, Kim had been constantly barraged with all kinds of technicalities ranging from asking if they could take out a sleeping cubicle to add more toilets on hallway six to disgruntlement over Aisha's usurpation of an entire storage bunker to set up pet boarding facilities for the families evacuated. Given the other problems she was dealing with, she honestly didn't care anymore.

"Emily's Uncle Ernie is in trouble." He explained. "He's been in Australia on vacation and now he's stuck at the airport in Sydney because his plane's grounded."

"Uh..hum." Kim said tiredly, irritation growing as she slowly exhaled her breath.

"Ernie." Jason said, "As in Youth Center Ernie…"

"Oh…" She said, voice mellowing and sitting up a little now that her curiosity had been tweaked. Somewhere, back in the recesses of her mind, she remembered Jason's ex-girlfriend had been Ernie's niece, but she'd honestly forgotten about it.

"Who?" Carri asked, but Kim waved her down so she shrugged and went back to sitting on the countertop.

"Anyway, apparently level five has a different criteria than we do down here, they're only letting in parents and siblings…no one else."

"They wouldn't tear out their labs and research facilities." Kim explained. "Apparently Dr. Franzstien doesn't believe this could be a permanent evacuation and refused to disrupt the status quo on a whim of level eight's. That left them with a lot less space."

"Yeah well, Frankenstein denied Emily's request to shelter Ernie, even though she doesn't have either parents or siblings, and gave the slots away to others. Then while she was trying to contact me for help, her own cot was reassigned and she's been told to go back to her apartment while NASADA locks down."

"Jesus Christ." Carri spat, borrowing her boyfriend's favorite phrase. "I really hate that woman. Is there any way we can accidentally kidnap her and leave her on the tarmac when the evil Rangers attack?"

"Nah." Kim responded tiredly. "They'd just recruit her."

"There are evil Rangers?' Emily asked, then stepped nervously behind Jason when both women sternly turned their eyes directly on her.

"Look, I understand Frankenstein pissed you off, but that's no reason to bring her in here with you." Kim chastised, giving him a look which said she knew he knew better. "Just transport out and grab Ernie, then find them a space down here." Kim said evenly. "You know you don't need to go through me for that."

"There's no more room on eight." Jason responded. "I think I can squeeze one more bed in a hall or something, but seriously Kim, people are setting up sleeping bags in the eating areas and Rocky's got people camping out in the storage facilities."

"The last time I checked, we still had room to spare." She said, a confused look on her face, but Jason shook his head.

"That was before Aisha set up that damn pet hotel of hers and brought her entire vet staff and their families in to man it… and before the kids decided to confiscate Bulkmier's to cook for everyone."

"Wait…they did what?" Kim asked, sitting up a little straighter and leaning forward.

"Bulk would only agree if he could bring his whole family with him as well as the restaurant." Carri explained. She'd forgotten she was the one who agreed to tell Kim, it had simply slipped her mind until that second.

"And just how was the decision to confiscate that particular restaurant reached?" She asked testily, looking back and forth between Carri and Jason with enough frustrated venom to make Emily take yet another step behind Jason.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" Jason asked accusingly to Carri and she winced, shaking her head.

"I forgot." She said lamely.

"Forgot what?" Kim asked, temper flaring. She had enough on her plate without anymore added bullshit. Bulkmier's was a known Ranger hang-out, but how the leap had been made between a family evacuation and a restaurant confiscation, she couldn't figure.

"Uhm…sweetie…" Jason hedged, unwrapping Emily's hold on him and coming forward to sit on the counter next to where she was seated. "You know how your dad has a new fiancé and you okayed that she and her kids could be evacuated down here?"

"When they went to go get him he wouldn't leave without Bulk and the kids thought they were killing two birds with one stone." Carri rushed. "You know, the food synthesizers can only do so much, and we had to eliminate personal cooking spaces in lieu of bathrooms…"

"What?" Kim asked, forehead knotted. "The two of you aren't making any sense." She snapped, fatigue getting the best of her.

Carri and Jason shot each other uncertain looks before Jason said. "Sweetie, your dad's fiancé has been married a couple of times too…and it turns out that she's the mom of someone we're really familiar with…"

"Are you telling me my dad's about to marry someone in Bulk's family?" Kim asked. She was was getting punchy, she could feel it. She honestly didn't have time for this, not considering everything else going on in the world.

"Not Bulkmier." Carri said, wincing a little. "The…uh…the other half of that dynamic duo."

Kim stared at her, a silence descending upon the Command Center as the realization dawned on her who they were talking about. A numbness hit her then and when Carri opened her mouth to speak she held her hand up to stop her.

"I honestly….don't want to know right now." She said, standing up and adjusting her uniform. "I'm going to get some sleep." She said evenly, looking over at Jason. "Do what you have to do. I'm fine with you evacuating both of them. Just make sure you keep them out of the Command Center proper when Tommy decides to attack. I mean it Jase, you know better." On that note she walked through the archway to the space where the kids, as they had started calling the younger rangers, had supposedly put her things.

"I think she took that rather well." Carri said, eyes watching her retreating form. Jason gave her a look that could've melted metal and she swallowed hard. "Yeah…right…ok…I'm uh…I'm just gonna find my boyfriend and get a few hours of sleep in too." She said, sliding off the counter and moving in the same direction Kim had. "It was...uh…nice to meet you Emily." She said and moved off through the archway.

Emily gave Jason a cautious look, but he shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Come on." He said, standing up. "You can stay in my room while I go get your uncle. Then we'll find you both a place to stay."

"Thank you." Emily said, looking at him earnestly. "I really, really appreciate this Jason."

"Yeah…well…" He responded. "Come on…I've got a thousand other things that have to get done besides this."

* * *

Kim walked wearily through the new hallway where rooms had been hastily created for the current Zeo team and a few of the other active Rangers, her mind wandering numbly. Jason had traded his space behind the Command Center with Andros's assigned space, making him the only Zeo in the halls outside Billy's lab, but she supposed that made sense. The rooms in their Command Center were larger because so few people were allowed access to it and Andros had both Ashley and the baby with him. Billy had set up an easy transport gate in-between the two, but she still wished Jason was closer. She needed his help and it was too easy for him to disappear into the bowls of NASADA if he wasn't in an assigned space with the team, but she supposed she was being silly and selfish. 

Her mind reeled with all that was going on. A few hours ago, it had been so simple. She was going to set the Rangers up with a plan they might actually be able to pull off, then follow Zordon's example and use her life energy to purge her world of Teeg and the Towers.

She wasn't fooling herself. She was nowhere near powerful enough to create a Zordon wave, but she did have enough Muirantian power to cleanse the grids and reset the Equaline wave; maybe putting history back on course. All that had changed as soon as she knew Tommy had survived. She could still do it, but if Tommy was still evil, she wasn't sure if she would save him or if she'd destroy him. It was all too unfathomable to consider. There had to be another way.

Her thoughts drew back to Thomas and all she'd learned from him. She was no longer angry at him. Deep down, she understood the position he was in. She desperately needed his advice, although she knew she wouldn't hear from him if she called. Somehow, some way, she needed to clone herself.

Finding her name on a small marker outside a closed door, she wearily opened it, only to stop, completely unprepared for the sight that awaited her. All of the cubicles in the family area were identical ten by ten boxes with mattresses on the floor or bunk beds, a small sink and a toilet, and a small loft to store things. The Ranger accommodations were a little bigger. They had been able to transport their own beds and a table and had a larger storage compartment for personal things. It wasn't that the Rangers were privileged, it was simply an allocation of space. There were some areas where the families just couldn't be allowed and that gave the Rangers more space to utilize for themselves.

As Kim stared at her room, she was floored. The kids had transported not only the small bedroom set she'd shared with Tommy, but also almost all of the furniture in Tommy's home office as well. She supposed that made sense. Tommy worked at home as much as he could; they couldn't afford to leave anything behind in case it might prove important. But, although the room was tightly packed, it was massive compared to the others and she felt a huge stab of guilt over taking up so much space when people like Jason's ex-girlfriend and Ernie were being refused access. Slowly, she climbed the little ladder that lead to their loft section and found it crammed with almost everything that had been in their tiny house.

With a sigh, she slowly descended the ladder and peeked into the small closet locker that had been set up next to it. There, her breath left her when she found not only her own clothes, but Tommy's. The sight of all his things hanging neatly in the locker was too much for her, bringing home the reality of all the day's events. Leaning heavily against the synthetic wall, she slowly slid to the floor and began to cry.

* * *

Hayley chuckled to herself as the last of her assigned team gave in and crawled off to eat or get some sleep before the next phase of evacuations began. She didn't need much sleep, her mind and her metabolism just wasn't conducive with it. Once involved in a project, she could go for days without realizing how much time had passed. Stopping to eat now was just silly. True, she was a little hungry, but not so much that she wanted to leave what she was doing. 

She'd always had the ability to pull all nighters several days in a row and even Tommy had bowed more than once to her stamina. She felt that you could learn so much and get so much more done if you didn't waste it sleeping and honestly had very little sympathy for those that cried off in search of rest.

This was the type of scenario where she functioned best, where Tommy had always appreciated her the most. As the door closed behind the last of her helpers and her section of the lab quieted, she sat back in her chair and surveyed her projects with a contented sigh. Before her was organized chaos; hundreds and hundreds of zords designs and various ideas to decontaminate the grid systems. It took five helpers just to keep up with half of what she had neatly organized in her own head, she acknowledged smugly.

It was too bad Tommy wasn't there, she thought sadly, he loved this kind of thing as much as she did. Not the devastation, she didn't mean that, and certainly not the evil Rangers, it was the feeling of knowing you were pulling off what no-one else could, that under the gun adrenaline rush where you were working flat out and pushing yourself harder and further to be the best you could be, that sense of accomplishment that only came under extreme circumstances. They had that in common, she mused, it's what kept them together.

She and Tommy had never been romantically involved, although they'd been accused of it often enough. Hayley had first met him when he was living with Kat and it had been her shoulder he'd leaned on when that relationship went sour. True, there was a time when she thought their friendship might have taken an intimate twist, but it had never developed and she was rather glad of that in the end. Tommy loved the Rangers. It was a mistress any woman who took him in would have to contend with; even Kimberly. He would never give it up and it would eventually kill him; if it hadn't already, she thought sadly. Hayley enjoyed working with the Rangers, enjoyed the fascinating doors it opened for her, but it wasn't her life's obsession.

She had never had much luck with men anyway. The ones she was physically attracted to were the pretty boys who were scared off by her intensity for life or her brainpower and the ones she could actually hold down an interesting conversation with were more interested in developing their brain power than their muscles. It was a sad statement on her part, but at least she was honest about it.

Tommy had come close to matching her intensity, but a rocket scientist he wasn't. He was an idea man, someone who challenged her to think in ways she ordinarily wouldn't, and he was a good friend. She just wanted too much from a man and she knew it. She wanted a guy who could keep up with her energy, who couldn't stand the thought of sleeping when there was so much to do and learn, who could dive into a project with her and not stop until it was done, who valued her for her intelligence, who wasn't intimidated when she showed him up with her experiments or made more money than he did…and who looked like an underwear supermodel. That kind of guy just didn't exist outside her fantasies, but that was ok. She had reached a point in her life where she understood compromise was necessary and if she wasn't willing to compromise, well then she could accept that too.

"Hayley?" A female voice asked, and she jumped, spinning around to See Angela Rawlings in the doorway. "I'm sorry to disturb you." She added.

"Oh…no…" Hayley said, waving her hand indifferently. "I was daydreaming." She admitted.

"Some of my best ideas come from daydreams." Angela said with a grin. "I was wondering if you had a second to hear out an idea my brother had, about the decontamination of the grids? I'm not assigned to that one and, well, Hershel and I don't really get along very well." She said, indicating one of the NASADA scientists assigned to Hayley. "Not since I got married anyway."

"Sure…" Hayley said, pushing her chair back and standing up. "Come on in, any and all ideas are welcome at this point."

"Great." Angela sighed, pulling a lab coat clad man in behind her. "You see Clark? I told you Hayley was open minded." She said as she walked into the room and around the lab counters. "She's a Ranger and working with a Ranger isn't like working with the staff here."

Hayley grinned at Angela's words, silently commiserating with her. The NASDA scientific teams were good, but snooty. She knew exactly what the other woman was talking about, even if she didn't come right out and say it. She had a comeback in mind to throw back, but it died in her throat as Angela pulled the man with her around the counter. He was absolutely, positively…gorgeous. For the first time in her life, she felt her knees go weak and her mind go numb. Her lungs absolutely refused to pump oxygen, freezing her brain and any social or language skills she'd ever learned.

"Hayley this is my brother Clark." Angela said by way of introduction. "Clark, this is Tommy's friend Hayley, they worked on Dino Thunder together."

"Pleased to meet you." Clark said amiably, holding out his hand, but Hayley just continued to stare at him numbly. "I've, uh…heard quite a bit about you." He added, slowly retracting his hand uncertainly and giving his sister a curious look. "I was really quite impressed with your utilization of raptor DNA samples during that campaign. Your combination of the Hewling cloning chambers and zord mechanics was a fascinating leap from the standard norm."

"Raptors?" Hayley asked distantly, swaying little and staring at what had to be two of the prettiest brown eyes she'd ever seen on a male. "Oh!" She exclaimed a little too loudly. "Ha! Raptors…yes, the uh..the uh… Dino Raptors…yeah…the kids actually rode those things." She said, giggling like a moron and twisting her arms around nervously. "Very mean…" She added with another nervous giggle. "Tommy had to freeze them. They'd just as soon eat you as let you ride them….they liked him though…nasty little things…well… big, very big, nasty…little things…actually." She stumbled, giggling again. "You liked them?" she asked cautiously, feeling like her tongue was thick as cotton. "I could…uhm… make you one….that is…I mean…that probably wouldn't be a good thing would it?"

"Not if they like to eat humans." He answered, giving his sister another look. "That probably wouldn't be a good thing." He agreed.

"Oh…no." Haley said, twisting her hands and arms around in front of her like an idiot. "Probably not."

"Uhm, Clark has some ideas to go over with you about grid contamination." Angela said patiently, breaking into the conversation and trying hard not to smile at the way the other woman gushed over her brother. She was more than familiar with Clark's effect on women. He was gorgeous, looking more like a cover model for GQ than a serious scientist. It was amusing actually, but she knew it bugged her little brother to no end. She was a little surprised at Hayley. She didn't know the other woman well, but she seemed to be very dedicated to her work and not the kind to gush over a pretty face like a teenager.

"Right…grid decontamination…that's what we're trying to accomplish here…" Hayley said, a bit too eagerly.

"Alright then." Angela said, putting a commiserative hand on her brother's arm. "I'll just let you two get to work."

"Work…right…work's a good thing…" Hayley responded.

Clark watched his sister leave the room with a mournful look. If would be so nice if, just once, a woman would try and carry on an intelligent conversation with him. Angela smiled back at him in sympathy and then she was gone, leaving him with the supposedly brilliant researcher dissembling in front of him…it was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Talk to me." Kim said as she strode into the Command Center. She'd been in a deep sleep when they'd paged her, and she blinked the last of that sleep from her eyes as she approached. 

"Wildfire's starting to effect Angel Grove proper." Jason said glancing up, then doing a double take when he saw her. She'd obviously been crying and she was still wearing what looked to be one of Tommy's old plaid shirts over her uniform. "You ok?" He asked and she nodded, unconvincingly.

"This the same so called wildfire our friends started?" She asked, referring to the Four evil Rangers who'd been out setting the brush on fire earlier. They'd done it to try and taunt the current Rangers into action. When that hadn't worked, they'd set Dragonzord loose in the industrial section; starting even more fires. But Kim had refused to let anyone take action. They had evacuations to plan and carry out first, there would be time for battles later. The result was that much of the outskirts of Angel Grove were being destroyed.

"Not just here, there're fires sprouting up from lightening all over the state. The governor's already called a state of emergency in California." He continued, turning his attention back to the screen in front of him. "We're something like the tenth state to declare it since this morning."

"Who are the others?" She asked, coming up next to him and yawning heavily. No one else was around and she wasn't sure why she'd been called if it was just fires they were dealing with.

"Mostly southeast and other costal states, the rain their getting is phenomenal." He said absently.

"So why am I here?" She asked. As far as she knew, the local governments were still in charge of things.

"Three things." He said, indicating with his hand that she sit down. "First, I found Ernie a bunk on the lower level of eight, but I still haven't found a place for Em…she was right, level five is full, they won't take her."

"Okay…"

"So in the meantime she's in my room over in the old conference rooms outside of Billy's lab and she knows not to go in there or through the doorway into the Command Center proper….I didn't tell her it's a transport portal and they're not really connected. She wants to spend most of the day with her Uncle and the others anyway, and I promised not to go in there when she's there at night, so it should work out, but I'm upping her clearance from five to eight and giving her a uniform so there's no confusion with her coming and going down that hallway."

"Whatever…" Kim said absently. "I haven't got a clue why you suddenly think you need to consult me. If you think she can be trusted with insider information, then I bow to your judgment."

"Wow…no lecture on letting my sex drive rule my judgment?"

"I'll leave it for Carri…next?"

"The good news is, it looks like the fire's turned direction away from your grandfather's old ranch. The bad news is that biggest of the fires is about to rip through your current neighborhood on Raven Street."

"Shit." She said with feeling. It wasn't that she actually liked the little house she'd been sharing with Tommy, it had been cramped and tiny, and old, and they had basically tripped over each other constantly, but it was the first house they'd shared together. The house she'd come home to after her second trip to Muirantias.

"Uhm, sweetie, if there's anything in there the kids didn't pick up that you might want..."

"I'm more concerned that they didn't know Tommy's hiding holes." She said glumly. "Yeah, ok, I'll go and do a walk through. Next?"

"The meeting with the world leaders starts in an hour."

"Who'd we get to handle it?" She asked absently.

"You." He said.

* * *

Kim coughed once after transporting into Tommy's old office. The smoke was thick and she could see the fire department outside hosing things down in a vain effort to save the street of old homes. She had just over ten minutes to get in and get out before the last briefing started on the night's meeting with the world leaders. Despite the heat, she mindlessly wrapped Tommy's old shirt tightly around her as if willing him to hold her and help her through the destruction of their home. 

She turned around once, marveling how different the little room looked without all of Tommy's things crammed in it, then set to work. Without hesitating, she quickly went to each of Tommy's little hiding places throughout the house, deactivating the security devices, and placing the contents of each into a plastic storage container she'd brought with her.

It was only after she'd recovered the last of his papers and computer disks from his office that she realized the feeling she had of being watched wasn't just her mind playing tricks on her. His prescience crept through her senses; both comforting and chilling at the same time. Resisting the urge to whirl around, she slowly turned her head and met his eyes as if she'd known he'd been there all along.

He was helmetless and wearing a black uniform that did little to distinguish him from Teeg's other minions. His arms were crossed and he leaned against the frame of the doorway casually, as if nothing were wrong with him and he'd just walked in to check on her. It was the eyes that betrayed him. They were hard and cold, but this time, she noticed, there was more curiosity in them than angry hatred. Evil or not, he was still her husband and the urge to run and throw her arms around him was devastating.

"This is an odd place to chose for a confrontation." She said calmly, sitting back on her heels and willing her heartbeat to slow.

"You're not afraid of me." He said simply. "Why?"

"Why do you think?" She returned softly and he regarded her silently for so long that she began to think he wouldn't answer.

"Why are you here, in this house?" He asked, eyes narrowing.

"This is my house." She returned. "The fire your comrades started is about to destroy it."

"Liar!" He yelled, stepping forward in an angry stance and startling her. She rose slowly, cautiously, and faced him. "This was _my_ house." He growled dangerously, as if challenging her to deny it.

"You remember it?" She asked breathlessly, the tiniest glimmer of hope translating into her voice. "This was our house, we lived here together. What else do you remember?"

She watched his eyes as he began to struggle inwardly with something and the glimmer of hope in her burned a little brighter, but as she watched, he overcame the struggle and his eyes grew hard and wary. "Tommy…" She said gently, but stopped when the look in his eyes turned murderous.

"When next we meet, you and the other Rangers who serve with you will die." He said coldly and vanished in a streak of green light.

* * *

"You asleep?" Rocky asked quietly as he entered their small room. 

"No. "Carri mumbled, pulling the pillow off her head. "It's too early to sleep, barely dinner time."

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter if we get a midnight call into battle." Rocky said, laying down next to her.

"Where've you been?' She asked, even though she knew he was probably with his mom and siblings. "You get Jason's mandate from on high to eat and rest? Jesus that guy's gotten positively dictatorial in the last few hours…except, of course, around Kim. He's being so overly deferential to her she's about to slap him." She chuckled. "I think he's doing it on purpose, but I can't prove it."

"I've uh…been helping with the families and stuff." He answered.

"Yeah, I heard you usurped one of the old fall out bunkers behind the Command Center for the rest of your extended family in both the US and Mexico." She teased, raising herself up on one elbow.

"Aisha took the biggest one." He said defensively. "Outfitted the entire thing for dogs and cats and stuff….Jesus, she's even got a couple of horses in there. I don't feel one bit guilty for taking one and putting the overflow in it."

"I'm not criticizing you for it." She responded. "I just never realized how huge your family really was."

"It's not just my family." He muttered uncomfortably. "Friends, my employees, a lot of the kids in my schools and their parents, my mom's parish priest and a couple of nun's I grew up with… How do you draw the line?" His voice was strained and edgy as he spoke and she reached a hand out to him, but he shook it off and sat up instead. "There's something I've got to tell you." He said uneasily.

"Oh please not now." She said, rolling over and hiding her face behind her hands. "It's been a hell of a day Rocky, if you've got bad news I really don't want to know it."

"Fine." He grumbled and slid off the bed to change out of his uniform.

"Alright…what?" She asked with a huge sigh, sitting up and giving him a patient look. He paused, regarding her, and then sat down.

"I don't know how to start." He said after a minute.

"Let me guess. This whole evacuation of your family has got you re-adjusting your priorities and you've decided your mother is right and you need to be with them instead of me." She said blandly.

"That's not funny." He replied humorlessly.

"Well, that's been about the way my entire day's gone so far and you're apparently in a really rotten mood…" She muttered.

"I love you." He said in an almost defensive tone. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else in my entire life. Haven't I proven that to you yet?"

"I'm sorry." She said easily, reaching a hand out to touch his arm. "And I mean that. I know you love me babe, and you know I love you, but the way you're acting…I dunno, I don't want to fight. Tell me your bad news and let's get on with it."

"It's Jessica." He said anxiously and she rolled her eyes and growled. "Look, this isn't easy ok? I need you to hear me out on this."

"Fine." She mumbled grumpily, grinding her jaw.

"I had to bring her into level eight." He said awkwardly.

"Why?" She asked so harshly that he paused.

"She uh…" He said, clearing his throat, "Well, one of the things I didn't tell you about in New York was that…well…"

"Out with it Rocky." Carri said firmly.

"One of the reasons she lost her job was that she brought a paternity suit against her employer." He said nervously.

"She's got a kid?"

"Yeah," He answered softly, nodding his head. "The baby was born in October. I didn't say anything because I didn't want you going off on her any more than you already had. It didn't seem like a big deal, I mean this guy was refusing to pay child support, so I helped her pay for her lawyer and a paternity test."

"Okay…and I would go off on you for that…why?"

"Because I actually know this guy and he was saying it wasn't his and telling everyone it was…well…mine."

"Is it?" She asked, a thick, hard cold crawling up her spine.

"Archer told me this morning during the evacuation to the bunker that the tests came back and it's not this other guys…" He said, searching her eyes warily. "And that she was trying to figure out how to tell the only other candidate. Apparently there's only the two of us that it could belong to." He added hesitantly.

"Shit…" She said, her shoulders sinking as heavily as her stomach. "Oh…shit…"

"Carri…" He said gently, reaching out his hand, but she shook it off. "This doesn't change things. It happened a long time before I even knew you."

"It changes everything." She said, turning to face him.

"Why?"

"Because…this isn't gonna go away Rocky. This isn't you helping her because she's down on her luck…this is her in your life forever…every Christmas, every Easter…every freaking holiday it's gonna be '_in your face, I have his kid, I get priority'_." She hissed, standing up and pacing the small room. " I've been through this more than once with my dad and if you want to know the graphic details about why Kim finally left my brother…well, in that case the girl had an abortion, but it was still the same kind of hell. I know you, you're a really good guy, you're not gonna let any kid of yours grow up without a dad. It doesn't matter that you say you don't want to raise anymore kids, if this one's yours…you're gonna be all over it. Don't you see? She's got you right where she wants you." She said almost hysterically.

"Carri…" He said gently, standing up.

"No." She said firmly, moving away from him and edging toward the door. He intercepted her and blocked the opening, preventing her from leaving.

"Carri…" He said firmly when she refused to look at him. "This happened months before I met you, I never knew about it."

"You never knew she had a kid." She answered skeptically.

"I never thought there was a chance it was mine." He said honestly, voice raising an octave or two.

"You never did the math?"

"Well yeah, of course I did, but the kid was born October third, and the last time I saw her was over Christmas last year. I was thinking it was nine months, no one told me you had to count the four weeks into that last month making it ten. Besides, she swore up and down it was her boss's…she even asked me to help her prove it was his, does that sound like a woman who thinks it's mine?"

"So, if everyone was so sure it was his, why'd he decide fight it then?" She asked waspishly. She'd never met this girl, but she hated her with a jealous venom that startled her.

"He's married." He answered uneasily.

"Oh, I just find myself liking this little bitch more and more…" She growled. "So now daddy number one is out and she decides the next logical choice is to go after you? Let me guess, with the lawyer you paid for right?"

"Oh god Carri…this is hard enough without you…"

"Tell me something, just how many contenders are there? Is there any chance at all she's totally playing you?"

"There are only two possibilities." He said morbidly. "She was dating him when she came to Angel Grove for the holidays. She came here specifically to let things cool off between them because he wouldn't leave his wife. We had a fling. Then she went right back to him. Look, it happened Carri, I can't change it, the kid's only two months old…I can't put her in the bunker with the others; it's dirty and they're sleeping on the floor in there. I put her on level two so she'd be away from my mom."

"Oh great, so now she's on the same floor as my parents." Carrie grumbled. "And I'll just bet that little bundle of joy looks just like you doesn't it?" She hissed.

"Carri…baby…" He said, reaching out, but she ducked away from him.

"Bad choice of words." She hissed. There wasn't much room in the tiny cubicle and the bed and small table usurped most of it, but at this point she was willing to crawl over both to get away from him. Just when she thought she'd found the guy of her dreams, this had to happen. Why the hell couldn't the world have ended and spared her finding this out? But no, Kim had to come up with a plan to save them from the towers and fate had responded by playing just one more cruel joke on her. "Don't touch me." She said, voice breaking a little.

"Carri…" Despite her words, he caught up with her, wrapping both arms around her from behind and snuggling his chin in-between her neck and shoulder.

"I can't have kids." She mumbled, back to him, arms crossed protectively in front of her under his and voice breaking a little more.

"This isn't easy for me either." He said softly.

"It hurts…" She said miserably.

"Yeah…I know babe." He said gently.

* * *

Tommy prowled the narrow corridors of the ship's engineering section like an agitated panther, back and forth and back again. The viratrons had very quickly learned to steer clear of the Rangers and all maintained a cautious distance from the evil green prowling amongst them. He despised them for their worthless subjectivity and yet… he was somehow commiserative with that same slave-like subjugation. 

He was more than what he'd been told. The images haunted him… just slightly, agonizingly, out of reach. The image of the house had come to him in a meditative state. He'd jumped up and used the ship's sensors to scan all of Angel Grove, thrilling to the victory of actually finding the structure on the outskirts of its suburbs…only to find _her _inside. The owner of the eyes that had plagued his every resting moment, now connected forever with the memory of that place…a symbol of home and family.

He cared nothing for the house itself, found nothing of value to him there. It was simply a half empty shell with no more meaning to him than the simple bunk he'd been assigned on Teeg's ship. Yet _she_ had been there. _Kimberly_. Her name was Kimberly. Not Kaycea as Teeg called her or K as the demon embodying the cold, lifeless imitation her form referred to her. It was Kimberly…and she was his. She had belonged to him once, he was certain of it…and now Teeg had enlisted him to destroy her…but why?

A female red was odd, but not unheard of…at least he didn't think so…he simply couldn't remember. The look of hope in her eyes had been unsettling. Why would she hope to be remembered by him? What had she to gain by that acknowledgment? What advantage did that association give her? The questions needled him, denying his mind rest.

He turned and growled audibly, scattering viratrons and claybots alike as he changed direction and prowled a different corridor. The structure had been his…theirs… they had been associated somehow. Is that why the memory of those eyes was so strongly associated with the feeling of …belonging? He paused his restless roaming and focused inwardly and deeply on the thin strands of memory that tenuously connected him to a past he neither needed nor desired. But who had determined that past to be unnecessary and unwanted? Why would his mind betray him so close to the onset of battle when he needed to focus all his energies into the destruction to come?

Nothing…there was nothing. No answers awaited him. Slowly, painstakingly, bit by bit, his clenched fist and then his arm slid into the transparent state that both frightened and fascinated him. He was more than what Teeg and the demon had allowed him to be…but what that was…the answers, he concluded, lay in the eyes that haunted him. The eyes belonging to a female he had sworn to exterminate.

* * *

"He was there, in the house." Kim insisted, eyes leaving the other woman's only for an instant to take in the other man in the room, who had retreated when she came in and was now trying very hard to melt into the lab tables as if he wasn't there. She turned her gaze back to Hayley, but she continued to simply stare at her. Kim was getting frustrated, the others were still asleep and Jason was nowhere to be found at the moment, but she had found Hayley in the corner of Billy's lab, apparently working on several different assignments with a man she didn't know. 

"He remembered?" Hayley finally asked, incredulously.

"Either Teeg's getting sloppy, or your Dinogem theory has more merit than we assumed." Kim said, nodding her head.

Hayley pushed herself back from the worktable, stunned. She wasn't often caught off guard. That was another bonus to never sleeping, you had time to find out details others missed. "Or Tommy's powers have developed further than we give him credit for." She added softly, almost under her breath. "And generally we tend to give him more credit than he actually deserves." She added glibly, giving Kim a satirical look.

"So what do you think?" Kim asked, hope pouring out of her eyes.

"He was pissed that you were in his house?"

"That's the feeling I got…and he got really angry when I asked him what else he remembered."

"And you're sure Teeg always wipes the memories of her captives, not just alters them." Hayley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, she'd never leave past memories in place." Kim answered, shaking her head. "That's what eventually led to the downfall of her master. The Demon King needs a mortal host to survive in this plane of existence. The last host began to remember his previous life…it weakened him just enough for Zordon and the others to contain him. There's also a huge precedent throughout history of past memories of home and friendship breaking evil spells. She'd have to wipe him clean, she wouldn't be able to control him otherwise."

"Sounds like she's not able to control him now." Hayley commented, still thinking.

"Any ideas on how to boost the power in his gem residues?"

"No." Hayley answered. "Not yet anyway, but it's one more reason to give the idea a higher priority."

"I think we should give it top priority." Kim said resolutely and Hayley looked at her curiously. "It's not just that he's my husband Hayley. " Kim said seriously. "If we can get Tommy back, he's the most qualified person on the planet to deal with evil Rangers. He's got a stronger history than anyone else and he's so damn lucky we might just get the other three back safe and sound too."

Hayley nodded, but didn't comment. She wanted Tommy back as badly as Kim, but she was hesitant to start re-arranging the scheduled plan of action. If she could put her whole focus into it while the others were briefing the world leaders, maybe she'd have time to come up with a plan of action for them while the civilians were being evacuated. After that, they really didn't have any room for error. The next two days were going to be critical and were going to fly by faster than ever.

"Let me crunch some ideas." She said absently. "You ready for the briefing?"

"No." Kim answered curtly, still pissed that she'd been roped into informing the world leaders they had twenty-four hours to evacuate the world's population into shelters. "But I don't exactly have a choice do I?"

"No." Hayley agreed. "You're the one in charge right now."

"Power help us." Kim said with feeling.

* * *

"Right now, the only ones capable of morphing are the Ninjetti." Andros was saying to the small assembly of Rangers gathered. "Karone and I are already known as Rangers, or Ranger related, so we will accompany them." 

"Didn't Wild Force re-establish morphing power?" Carter asked. It was a rumor, but one that had given them hope.

"Their grid has made significant progress decontaminating itself, but what limited morphing power they have now will be held in reserve until we really need it." Hayley answered.

"Where are they now?" Conner asked. He hadn't seen anyone from Wild Force since the beginning of the family evacuations.

"On their way to Muirantias." Kim answered. "I can't send them directly, Tommy was apparently given direct access last time because he'd already been there and proved himself. The evidence suggests Teeg hasn't sent Kemora there yet, although why I don't know, but I can't take the chance that she can use Lerigot's key and get in as quickly as I do. I wanted them in place around the temple there if that happens. More importantly, since the pit and the Temple of Power on Phaedos are linked, there's a chance that they might be able to establish themselves on one of the Phaedosian grids once they get there."

"Sweet." Conner said quietly and a few people around him grinned.

"You heard from Dulcea?" Carri asked and Kim nodded.

"Phaedos is clear and lending it's support to Eltar. It's the logical move, the Warriors of Phaedos can't get to us in time, but it's possible she can still help us, through me and Jason, if the connection between the two temples stays open. If Wild Force is successful on a Phaedosian grid, we might also be able to convert some of the others. In the meantime, she's spreading the word that we need help. No one will be able to get in, but they could be a nuisance on the other side of the field where her ships are docked."

"KO-34 is also trying to rally people to help us." Andros added. "Between the two, help should be here in a few days."

"That's not much good in the meantime." Jason said with a resigned sigh. "That's where Teeg gets people. There's not much left by the time the reinforcements arrive."

"No, but we'll do the best we can with what we've got." Kim said. "So, going back to the original purpose of the meeting," She chided. "Where are we with informing the world governments?"

"I've already established myself as the first contact and sent out briefings stressing that the towers, as well as the seriousness of their effect on the people this world, will be addressed in the meeting." Karone said. "And I have a team of about twelve people trying to follow up and stress the importance of attendance."

"How many are we expecting?" Kim asked, the old feeling nervous butterflies she used to get before a major competition rolling around in her stomach. She was seriously deficient in her knowledge of world politics. She had no idea how many countries were represented at the United Nations let alone how many world leaders might attend this meeting.

Karone glanced at Andros and he returned her uncertain look. "Many of the major world leaders have agreed to be present, once we convinced them we were serious… Of course the US President and Vice President are coming, but I get the feeling they're far more interested in seeing our base and furthering negotiations on issues we've been ignoring rather than the towers… and the President himself wants to know if the pink Mighty Morphin will be there…apparently one of his predecessors met her and he wants to as well." She added hesitantly. "I told him she would and he seemed a lot more eager."

"I could comment." Jason said drolly. "But I won't."

" Canada, Australia, Japan were the first to agree." Andros chimed in. " France, Greece, and England will be sending a high ranking official; we weren't happy, but it's better than nothing. We haven't heard anything from Mexico yet."

"A few others agreed when we announced we'd be transporting them." Karone added, taking up the monolog. "Unfortunately, the majority of the European nations and the entire Middle East and India are ignoring us completely. And we also haven't heard back from anyone in Africa, although the weather alterations there don't seem to be as severe as they are in the rest of the world; so maybe that's why."

"Have we stressed how important this is?" Jason asked, irritation breaking through.

"Those refusing to attend are mostly the ones who have consistently refuted that the Power Rangers and extraterrestrials in general actually exist on this world." Andros said evenly. "A few of the others simply aren't taking us seriously or are blaming us for orchestrating the whole event in order to grab power for ourselves."

"If they feel that way now, how are they going to feel when we freeze the world's computer networks?" Hayley added. She had some serious reservations about the way Justin Stewart's team had decided to take over the computers of world's banking systems and free markets; it was almost like a game with him, some sort of fun puzzle to figure out. It left her with an uneasy feeling in her stomach and she honestly didn't think Tommy would have approved. She had voiced her concerns to Billy, but the curmudgeon had only rolled his eyes and told her gruffly to focus on her own work.

"Oh great…" Carri piped up. "So what are we supposed to do, take charge of those populations and evacuate people against the will of their governments or do we just sit back and let them die?"

"I think…" Kim answered, silencing the murmuring that had started. "…that we can do only what we can do. If we can destroy the towers before they heat the atmosphere too badly, many of the people in question will be uncomfortable, but will live through it."

"And if we don't?" Carter asked.

"Then it won't matter, we'll start over with who we can manage to save." Kim said evenly.

"That's not acceptable." Jason said roughly. "Maybe we can reorganize and try to address one of the world councils, get their attention that way."

"The storms generated are going to cause the most damage to the infrastructure. Heat, high winds, flooding, and fire are our main enemies." Billy said. "Perhaps we can organize civilian squads…"

"We spread the word." Kim said, cutting him off. "We give the leaders twelve hours to get ready then we blast the world media with the recommendation to get underground as quickly as possible, but our focus remains firmly on where our forces are best utilized. That doesn't mean dividing up to track down panicking people. We must remain centralized." She said with more sharpness than she intended. It worked though, those around her silenced and nodded their agreement. " I'm sorry, we do what we can do and if we're ignored…." She paused and shrugged helplessly. "We don't have time to beg people to take us seriously."

"So how many are actually gonna show?" Jason asked.

"Thirteen." Karone said uneasily.

"Jesus…" Jason swore, his shoulder slumping. It had never dawned on him that the world wouldn't take them seriously.

"Well…" Kim said, shifting in her chair and sitting up. "I guess that means it'll be easier if we have to evacuate to Ko-35."

* * *

"I have concerns." Teeg said slowly, turning around in her command chair and facing Kemora. "He's restless and took it upon himself to confront Kaycea on the surface again without informing me." 

"There's a reason Zordon chose him." Kemora said easily. "He's powerful. Able to utilize both sides of the Power should he chose to." She shrugged nonchalantly as if completely indifferent. "I wouldn't worry too much. All the Tommys, including Thomas, remain haunted by their evil side. It stands to reason our evil green is a little haunted by his good one."

"It's dangerous." Teeg said evenly, eyes narrowing on the demon. "The towers have not reached full power yet. We are still more than twenty standard time units away from an ideal attack scenario." There was more here than met the eye. She understood Kemora had her own agenda, but had been unable to ferret it out as yet. "Rexo has failed to take Phaedos, as I anticipated he would, but now the witch Dulcea has sent her warriors to Eltar. I may need to send reinforcements. If we lose control over the green…" She added, leaving the last word hanging.

"If we lose control over him," Kemora responded a little more smugly than Teeg approved of, "Then I kill him."

Teeg sat back regally in her throne like chair and regarded the demon in front of her. She knew very little about her other than she was Kaycea's doppelganger. If Kaycea adored Tommy, it stood to reason that the demon despised him. Why then, encourage her to let the man live? Save him from certain death inside the orb? There was more to it than simply causing Kaycea pain and suffering by turning him evil. She either wanted the man for herself or she wanted to kill him herself. It had to be the latter, she decided silently.

"If we lose control over him," She warned the woman in front of her ominously, "Then I will see you contained within an orb for the rest of eternity."

Kemora's eyes narrowed and blazed an angry red, but she held her peace. The time would come to deal with her so called captor. It was in her best interest to pretend to behave for now. Once she had Lerigot's key, once the pit of eternal fire was hers to control, she would have her revenge on the cat-like creature in front of her. No one crossed Kemora and lived. No one.

* * *

"Kimberly!" A very familiar accented voiced called out, causing Kim to stop dead in her tracks as the others filed past her out of the assembly room and down the corridor. "Kimberly wait a second, I need to talk to you!" Kat called, waving frantically in case Kimberly missed her. 

"Oh God, not now…" She muttered, grabbing Jason by the back of his uniform shirt and holding him back with her.

"If I have to stay, you do." She hissed, but Kat was upon them before he could answer.

"Kimberly I need to talk to you." Kat said breathlessly. "I've been trying all day to find someone to help me, but everyone tells me I need to talk to you…where's Tommy?"

Kim was ready for a whole host of things Kat might track her down for, but not that one. She starred at her, heart constricting, unable to answer.

"Tommy's busy." Jason said, giving Kat a warning look not to pursued the question.

"I'm sure." Kat said, missing Jason's look. "But I need…" She took a huge inward breath and fanned her eyes as if they were misting. "I've been told there's a secondary bunker they're starting to assign people to…if I could just talk to Tommy about it…"

"There's a secondary bunker?" Kim asked Jason.

"It's…well, yeah. There's a last minute effort to get people underground wherever we can before the general evacuations start." He admitted. "Rocky and a few others had second and third cousins and non-family that were like family and I told him he'd have to find another bunker to put them in… so…" He answered, leaving the last word hanging. The place they were talking about wasn't all that great, but it was better than most people would get.

"How do I get people assigned to it?" Kat asked hopefully.

"You have more family members who have been excluded?" Kim asked. She was certain that the families had pretty much all been crammed in.

"Not family; friends, co-workers, my wedding party..."

"Your wedding party…" Kim repeated.

"Kimberly these are my dearest friends. I'm just…" She waved her hands in front of her face as her eyes watered. "…these are my family of choice and if anything happened to them before my wedding…"

"Alright, alright…" Kim said, raising her hand to stop her and turning to Jason. "You're in charge. Round them up and get them inside." She said, slapping him across the chest. "And get her back into a uniform." She said pointing at Kat and moving away toward the others.

"Oh…no." Kat said demurely. "Thank you, but Chris doesn't know about my Ranger days and I'm happily retired. Thank you though."

"I didn't ask." Kim said sternly, turning back to face her old friend turned rival. "Over ninety percent of the uniforms you see around here are retired. We've got a job to do and we need as many hands as we can find."

"Kimberly I can't come back." Kat insisted. "I loved my life as a Ranger while I was in high school, but I've completely moved on since then… I would be a liability in a fight if I tried to do it now. Besides, Carri might not care if she reveals herself to everyone, but I do." She argued. "I saw what happened to Ashley when her identity was revealed; it was a nightmare."

"You're here because your Ranger." Kim said firmly, moving up so close that the taller woman backed up. "Your family is here because you're a Ranger. Suit up."

"If I could just talk to Tommy...he understands…" Kat hedged.

"Tommy's not here." Kim said more coldly than she intended. "I am." She snarled, then spun around and marched off to catch up with the others.

"What am I going to tell my family, Chris's family?" She asked turning to Jason with an almost panicked look.

"Tell them Carri recruited you to help out." Jason advised. "You're volunteering with the Rangers, nothing more. A volunteer is a helper, not a morphing Ranger." He added, then excused himself and hurried to catch up with Kim, leaving Kat alone in the hallway. "I'll send someone to get you a uniform." He called back over his shoulder.

* * *

"So when do you think you'll be able to do the test?" Rocky asked anxiously. 

"I honestly don't know." Billy said distractedly. Hayley had only just informed him of her conversation with Kim and he was buried up to his neck in calculations. He was so close to figuring out a way to stimulate the Dinogem residues in Tommy and Kira, he could actually feel it. It didn't help that everyone had once again descended upon his lab after dinner; creating noise and peppering him with stupid questions.

It wasn't that he didn't sympathize with Rocky's dilemma, it was just that it honestly wasn't a priority for him. Once he finished running this latest cycle of data he had to go back to work on a thousand projects ranging from feeding the refugees to the incompatibility of the Overdrive team's computer network with Lightspeed and NASADA. The work was coming at him from all ends. Then there was the worry over his pregnant wife who was having cramps. She swore up and down they weren't contractions, but with the stress of everything…

"But it'll only take a few seconds for you to know, right?" Rocky asked fretfully.

"Yes," Billy said irritably, wishing he could somehow shoo his friend away.

"So when do you think you might be able to do it?"

"Ask me again in about three days." Billy grumbled.

"But by then…" Rocky started, but one look at his friend's angry face made him stop. "Ok, fine…three days." He muttered angrily, turning towards the door. " I might not have a girlfriend in three days, but that really doesn't matter to you does it? You have a wife already."

Billy raised his head and shot his friend an angry look, but Rocky never turned around to see it. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, then returned to his work.

* * *

"Alright, everyone who's coming is here." Jason said, pulling back his Ninjetti hood and rubbing his eyes. "We're up to a whole eighteen representatives." He said sarcastically. 

There was no point in traveling to New York and holding the meeting in a huge assembly room if few were attending. There was also no place left in NASADA proper given the family evacuations, so they had transported the leaders into the conference room of the newest Astro Megaship that Zane had just helped to deliver. With an ability to seat twenty at the conference table, the dimly lit room with all its screens and flashing technology made for an impressive and imposing backdrop, if nothing else.

"Remember," Karone coached in a low voice, "Ninety percent of authority is in the ability to command their attention. You have to appear to them as if you have complete authority over everyone, as if it never dawned on you that they won't instantly obey."

"These are world leaders we're talking about." Kim whispered back nervously. "Aren't they going to do the same thing?"

"You are the one in charge of this meeting. Never forget that." Karone said firmly. "They came here to listen to you. You must command their attention from start to finish. Even if you don't feel it, act like you do. Don't let them turn the subject or control the conversation. They're politicians, they'll twist your words. Be precise, be definite, and be firm."

"Just pretend you're Zordon." Carri advised.

"I'm not Zordon." Kim said, breathing deeply and forcing her heart to stop pounding wildly.

"They don't know that." Carri answered. "They don't have a clue who you are except that you're the one leading this mission and the one in command of the Power Rangers. If they try and pass judgment on you or ask you're qualifications, just tell 'em you first came to this planet's defense over six thousand years ago and you don't need a room full of little boys belittling you."

"That's not exactly true…we went back in time for that mission." Kim said, giving her friend a look that said she wasn't helping much.

"So?" Carri retorted. "They don't know that. Aren't you always telling me Zordon said that truth was only a matter of perspective?"

"I hate to say it…" Karone said wryly, "…but I agree with Carri. Don't lie, but don't let them think they can question your authority. It's too important, we don't have time to debate. Go in, tell them what to do, then get out. If they doubt you, you need to assert your authority and leave."

"Tell my again why you aren't doing this?" Kim asked Karone.

"Because you're the one in charge." She responded firmly.

"Oh yeah…" Kim said doubtfully.

"You can do this." Jason said and Kim nodded several times, breathing deeply again. "You have to do this." He added and she closed her eyes, nodding back once.

"Alright, I'm going to introduce you." Karone said, grabbing her brother and walking toward the conference room door. "You better morph and get ready."

As Kim morphed into Ninjetti form and Jason replaced his hood, she physically shook the last of the nervous adrenaline from her numb limbs. "Just pretend I'm Zordon…Just pretend I'm Zordon…" She whispered to herself. _Oh god_…she thought to herself, _what would Zordon have said to that_?

"Showtime." Carri said glibly, morphing into her yellow Ninjetti robes and falling into step behind her.

For a moment, Kim felt as though she was the biggest fraud in the universe. _What would Zordon do_…the phrase haunted her. She was no Zordon. She understood now, more than ever before what Dulcea had meant during her training when she told her that she had barely scratched the surface of her potential, that she had yet to really command it.

Her powers were growing faster than ever since the hour up on her grandfather's ranch when she'd openly embraced the pit's calling. Through an odd quirk of fate, she'd been given awesome potential, but potential was an unclaimed asset; she wasn't there yet. She had defeated Netau, placed him within his own orb and then doubly sealed that orb with one of her own; but she wasn't sure exactly how she'd done it.

That was the difference between a novice and a master; a master could act, a novice reacted. She had reacted to a direct threat and the grid had helped her focus enough to accomplish what needed to be done. She hadn't consciously done it on her own. She was an amateur, a white belt in a galaxy filled with masters. Her friends didn't know the difference, she did. She was twenty-eight, almost twenty-nine years old with a potential lifespan of ten thousand…she had a long, long way to go before she could know what Zordon would say or do.

Yet, there she was, entering a room of great men, the leaders of her world, and she was expected to advise them on the chaotic hours ahead. These were the men who were entrusted with the welfare of their people; just as she had been entrusted with organizing the Rangers in this fight against Teeg. She didn't miss the irony of it.

The hallway was purposely much brighter than the room they were about to enter. This way the occupants would not see the hallway beyond and hopefully not realize they were on a ship and not the official Command Center of the Power Rangers. The Command Center itself was highly functional, but not very impressive. They could have possibly borrowed the Overdrive Command Center, but that was already being utilized and she didn't want to stop people from their work just for her. They needed to exude as much authority as possible. The majority of the world already wasn't taking them seriously; even with Teeg's towers and the dramatic climate changes that had already occurred.

In the few seconds that it took to enter from the hallway to the conference room, going from an overly bright surrounding to a considerably darker one, Kim had a sudden flash back to the moment when she'd been unceremoniously engulfed by her first transport beam and introduced for the first time to the world of the Rangers. Just as she had looked upon Zordon's power tube with a combination of awe and wonder and fear, so too the faces of the men and women before her turned from companionable conversation to reverent silence. One by one they stood in respect and one by one she met each of their eyes from behind the red mask that obscured all but her own eyes.

For a moment, and only a moment, the conference room melted away and she saw Zordon's face as clearly as if she were still a little girl and fighting with the Mighty Morphin team again. Once again, he looked down upon her with that gentle, knowing smile, and once again, her worries melted away as if they had never existed. The image nodded once to her in quiet understanding and then faded… but it was enough. Her stance shifted, her shoulders relaxed and although only her eyes were revealed, she put as much gentle knowing into them as she could.

"Gentlemen…ladies…" She addressed those present, crossing her red clad arms across her crest and bowing slightly in a traditional Eltaran greeting. "I welcome you." She said, her voice soft, but carrying; somewhere in-between Dulcea's no-nonsense tone and Dimetria's gentle ringing cadence. "I am known as Kaycea, daughter of Zordon, Master Warrior of Phaedos."

From behind his hood, Jason grinned.

* * *

"I cannot believe I've been roped into this again." Kat sighed, handing a wailing Sage back to Ashley and adjusting the top of her grey uniform. 

"Oh come on Kat, it's not that bad." Cassie said, leaning back on the small makeshift couch in her friend's living quarters. It wasn't the largest of the Ranger's living spaces, but it was the only one big enough for the three friends to congregate privately all at once. "I haven't been in uniform in just as long; few of us have."

"What am I supposed to tell my family?" She replied.

'Exactly what Jason said; _you're volunteering_. Look, everyone has to chip in, Rangers and civilians alike. We're all in this together."

"I understand that…it's just…"

"Just what?" Ashley said, sitting down and feeing her angry daughter a bottle. The baby quieted instantly and the three chuckled over how she greedily attacked the offering.

"You both remember what it was like towards the end of my relationship with Tommy," Kat answered with a sigh. "He just wouldn't give it up, it was a complete obsession with him. Yes, I loved being a Ranger and yes, I cried for days when I had to give it up…but life went on. I went to the dance academy in London, I came back and moved forward. Tommy didn't. He swore up and down and sideways that he was retired…and then he'd disappear for days and I'd find out through the grapevine he'd been to Eltar or Mirinoi or somewhere else just… _helping with things_…" She paused and ground her jaw, old angers and frustrations resurfacing. "He loved the Rangers more than me." She admitted sullenly. "It was like a mistress he couldn't give up and it eventually tore us apart."

"So," Cassie said blandly. "Even though your world needs you, your family needs you… even though you have talents that are desperately needed right now in this emergency, you resent being called back because of an old jealousy that doesn't exist anymore?"

"That relationship ended so bitterly." Kat argued. "It didn't have to…and now all those old angry feelings are just boiling to the surface again."

"Over a silly high school- slash- college, relationship?" Cassie said incredulously. "Kat, come on…how many of us are with the same guy we dated in high school?" She asked, immediately holding up her hand and silencing Ashley. "I'm not counting the one and only exception in my entire life that I know of." She said, giving her friend a little grin.

"Tommy and I could have had a forever relationship." Kat insisted. "He just wouldn't let go of the Rangers."

"Yes, but you have Chris now. You said yourself I don't know how many times that Tommy may have broken your heart, but once you let go, you turned around and found true love right where you were supposed to." Cassie offered.

"Was it that he wouldn't let go," Ashley said gently "Or was it that you felt you were being excluded?" She asked. She remembered those days very well, how Tommy had kept Kat isolated while Andros had bent over backward to include her. She'd remembered her misgivings and even mentioned them to her husband more than once when Kat had purposely been left out and ranted bitterly about it afterward.

"Both." Kat admitted. "I was shut out for so long, now they order me back in. I've no say or choice in the matter…just like I didn't have a say when I was told to leave."

"Think of it this way," Cassie offered. "Your tenure as a Ranger not only made you the person you are, it also could very well have saved your entire family from what's coming. Don't think of it as being forced into service, think of it as an avenue to preserve the people you love the most."

"You're right." Kat said gently. "I'm being very selfish aren't I?"

"No," Ashley reassured, raising the baby up to her shoulder to burp her. "I think this is an incredibly emotional and stressful experience… and we all know it's about to get worse. In the meantime, you're having to confront emotions that you've kept bottled up for a lot of years. It's completely normal."

"You think that's why Tommy's refusing to talk to me?" Kat asked. "I tried for hours to contact him today and was completely ignored."

"You don't know, do you?" Cassie said uneasily, looking hesitantly towards Ashley.

"What are you talking about?" Kat returned apprehensively, her stomach sinking.

"Tommy…" Ashley said uncertainly. "He's…"

* * *

One thing became painfully clear to Kim the moment she sat down, the chair was too big. The Kaoans had designed the conference room to Tommy's specifications and those specifications had been to seat at least twenty red Rangers. Apparently the Kaoans believed red Rangers were giants, because they were large command chairs, imposing and very impressive, but they were not designed, as she quickly discovered, for a five-foot-two little pink. 

To make matters worse, most of the length in her five foot two, one hundred pound soaking wet, frame was in her legs. While long legs and a short torso was pretty to watch during a gymnastics meet, at the moment it made her feel like a Kindergartener sitting at the grownups table at Thanksgiving.

The effect was not lost on anyone in the room and she groaned inwardly in embarrassment. In the one second it took for her to drop nearly below the table, she had lost a significant amount of precious credibility with the leaders assembled. Someone coughed, and Andros rushed forward, but Kim, heart pounding wildly, calmly raised a hand for him to be still and rose as gracefully as if she had just finished a mat routine into a standing position.

"You're a little bit of a thing, aren't ya?" The US President said with a grin and several of those around him shuffled uncomfortably. Kim slowly turned her Ninjetti masked head to him and purposefully put as much of a twinkle in her exposed eyes as she could.

"So it appears." She said in her best imitation of Dimetria. "I believe," She continued in the same tone, "That in our efforts to accommodate our distinguished guests, our technicians have forgotten one _small_ detail." She said, putting a distinct emphasis on the word small. Those at the table smiled or chuckled in response and she genuinely relaxed a little. Her heart was still pounding though and her mind raced. She had to reestablish her authority over the meeting and quickly or her credibility would be completely lost.

"In the absence of available phone books," She said mischievously, continuing to turn the jest on herself. "Perhaps I should simply take another seat." As she spoke, she drew first one leg and then the other up until she was sitting cross-legged, suspended by nothing but air.

It was a training technique Dulcea had pounded into her. A form of telekinetic mind control that she rarely used because she simply didn't have to. As a novice, she had first learned to suspend herself, then, as she progressed through training, Dulcea had forced her to balance a saucer of water on her head to assure stability. As her training progressed, Dulcea had then switched the water for acid. It wasn't as easy as it looked, straining the muscles and the mind the way sit-ups and crunches strained the abdomen, but in order to pass her masters training, she had learned to hold the position for hours while simultaneously performing other tasks.

It was, however, an impressive feat to those who had never seen such a thing outside of movies and television. To add to the effect, she allowed the energies around her Ninjetti clad frame, the same energies she was controlling to keep her in the seated position, to glow and crackle around her. Dulcea would have been furious, it was sloppy and showed lack of control, but the small pyrotechnics display was impressive to her audience and that's what she was going for.

"You have come here this night to understand the new menace that threatens your world and your population. I understand this is a new and unknown situation and I applaud you for taking a leap of faith which your contemporaries had not the courage to do." She said gently, trying to think how Zordon or Dimetria would phrase their words and putting a strength behind that resonated across the small room.

"Forgive us for appearing bold or rude." The U.S. Vice President said diplomatically, "But the question most of us are asking is why the conflicts have, after nearly fifteen years of containment, spread beyond the coastlines of California. Does our summons to this meeting indicate the Rangers have lost control of their defenses?"

"Fortunately," Kim answered, "The Rangers have been able to maintain the status quo on this planet for more than ten thousand years. Unfortunately, we now face an enemy who is not interested in the subjugation of the planet and who feels preservation of the population is of no consequence. I have every confidence that the Rangers will defeat this new enemy, as we have defeated so many others, however, I am not willing to sacrifice the population of Earth in order to accomplish this victory. Our enemy knows this and is using it to her advantage. It is a very effective strategic attempt to divide our forces."

"So the monoliths are an attempt to exterminate the population?" A gentleman at the end of the table asked. She assumed by his accent that he was Australian as she'd been told the Prime Minister from New Zealand was one of the women attending, but Kim still cursed herself for not paying more attention to world politics. There were three women present, representing New Zealand, Germany and Switzerland but other than that, she was woefully ignorant of which representative corresponded to what country. She knew far more about the interworking of Elemi's politics than her own, but then again, a planetary representative from KO-34 or Eltar probably wouldn't bother identifying them either.

"The towers have many functions." Kim said evenly. "The purpose that is of concern to you is their effect on a planetary environment. The effects you have witnessed in the last few hours will continue to escalate, eventually leading to the destruction of most of your population."

"And what will the Rangers do about it?" Another diplomat asked.

"The towers will be destroyed." Kim said simply. "However, it is my responsibility to inform you that your civilian populace is at dire risk. We need your help protecting them."

"This is your war, not ours." Another delegate said heatedly. "Why should we be called in to come to your aide? We did not invite you to this planet."

"I am not asking your help battling the enemy who threatens your planet." Kim said serenely. "I am here merely to inform you that you must immediately take precautions to secure the safety of the civilians who depend upon you."

"The Power Rangers have always come to the defense of the civilians threatened." The Vice President added. "How are we to protect our citizens if you are unable to?"

"Our enemy seeks to divide our forces by escalating the battle across the surface of your planet." Kim said simply. "I cannot allow this to happen. As most of you are by now aware, there is a force field surrounding the globe. We are shut off from our reinforcements and must utilize the retirees and volunteers we have available planet side. This is a large enough force to accomplish the destruction of our enemy, however it is, unfortunately, not large enough to divide over all continents simultaneously and protect your population. We must ask you to evacuate your people and take responsibility for protecting them from the hostile environment created by the towers until the battle is concluded."

"And where are we supposed to take them?" An angry voice asked over the uproar that insured.

"More importantly who's going to pay for these so-called evacuations?" Another asked.

Kimberly waited until the debate had died down then waited a few more seconds before speaking. "The extreme weather events that you have witnessed since the early hours of the morning in the Pacific time zone will continue to escalate." She said in a calm, almost detached voice. "Our scientists estimate that your polar ice caps will begin to melt within eighty hours, flooding your coastal areas. It is assumed, however, that the air will have become toxic by then and the majority of your population will have succumbed. You are the only ones who have responded to our warning. We have volunteers who are willing to work with your agencies to help you more quickly implement evacuations and disaster relief, but we can only assist you so far. Although, as only a few have responded, I assume I am able to offer you more assistance than was previously considered."

"And just where are we to take everyone?" Someone asked.

"If you do not have fall-out bunkers or other contingency shelters able to withstand the storms that are coming, we do have other options to offer you." Kim said evenly. "However, this is something that must be considered after all other resources have been exhausted."

"How long do we have?" Someone asked.

"Approximately twenty-four hours." Kim said coolly.

"You're asking the impossible." The US Vice President argued.

"I'm advising you." Kim replied. "Your choice is to act upon my advice or not."

"And just what gives you the authority to advise us to make these kinds of decisions? Who put you in charge? Is there no one we can appeal to for clarification or a difference of opinion?" A representative asked.

"I was elected to inform you of the danger to your communities." Kim said simply.

"By whom?" An angry man at the end of the table asked.

"By the Red Assembly." She answered.

"And the Red Assembly is…" Someone else asked.

"The Red Assembly consists of the red Rangers, past and present, who have held the responsibility of leading the defense of your world." Kim answered.

"And you? By your costume are we to assume that you're a Red Ranger? In the fifteen years that the Power Rangers have made themselves known to us, there has never been a female red Ranger." The angry man spat back to her.

"My tenure as a red Ranger on this planet began with my service over six thousand years ago." Kim replied coolly, the look in her eyes hardening. "Since that time I have served other teams both as a red and as a pink; both on this world and on others." She paused as a silence descended upon the table. "I chose to return to this world to live my life, I did not chose to return to active duty. However, I am the most qualified to lead the other reds against the enemy we now face and have been pressed again into active service. This is, I believe, not an uncommon phenomenon among the military minded." She added and several at the table nodded. "My qualifications," She continued, an edge in her voice, "Will mean little to you. I am the acknowledged daughter of Zordon, the being who brought the morphing power to humanity. I am a Master Ninjetti Warrior of Phaedos, a title which strikes fear into many who serve evil. I am also referred to as the spawn of Maligore, a recognition of my power as a sorceress. I have other titles that will mean equally little to you, but of importance is that I am a citizen of this planet. I have called it my home for many years and I am of a mind not to see it destroyed. You have very little time gentlemen…ladies. I suggest you not waste it arguing with me."

"Just how secure do these bunkers need to be?" One of the women present asked. "Do the people need to be protected from radiation or just the elements?"

* * *

"And you created all these?" Billy asked, his tone more than impressed and bordering on wonder. 

"I appear to have a talent for it." Kim answered sardonically. The meeting was finally over and called a success by both Andros and Karone, but Kim was less than convinced she'd given any kind of stellar performance. When Billy looked up at her she added, "Apparently not everyone can do it, you have to be born with the ability. Thomas thinks that was why Zordon allowed Divatox to take me to Muirantias and slowed down the Zeo team with the _Ghost Galleon_ instead of giving them something faster. He seems to have allowed me to be re-structured in order to give the universe another coin maker."

"I didn't know that." Billy said sympathetically. He'd left for Aquitar by then, but he knew that Zordon had had plans for both Kim and Tommy and a few others. In retrospect, it was probably better he hadn't been there.

"It took me a while, but I eventually forgave him for it." She said with a thin smile that was less than convincing.

"There are hundreds of them." Billy said incredulously, picking up a golden power coin and regarding it from both sides with his eyes before putting it into his analyzer. "And each one's a different animal like the coins on Phaedos?"

"Yes, but not all of them work very well." She hedged. "And I'm not powerful enough to create Ninjetti. I mean, I could try, but I've never done it before. I'd hate to accidentally kill someone."

"It doesn't matter." Billy said eagerly, like a child who'd just been handed several candy jars of gold wrapped chocolate. "We don't need Ninjetti, we need to morph. There are more than enough for all the Rangers over the next two days, maybe three. Even if each coin only provides one stable morph…Kim this is awesome!" He said excitedly.

"Glad you think so." She said, far less impressed than he was, but happy to accept a compliment from him. It had been a long day and she needed a genuine compliment. "I have better news for you though."

"Oh god…" he said, more dramatically than she'd ever seen him. "I'm not sure my heart can take any more good news." He finished sarcastically.

"No, this genuinely is good news." She answered, smiling as he looked over at her. "Hayley wasn't including the grid up on the ranch when she listed those contaminated."

"Excuse me?"

"It's not associated with the main network and for some reason Tommy's list was never updated on the Dino Thunder computers; although Hayley knew it existed." She said, eyes twinkling.

"And it's not infected?" Billy asked eagerly.

"Nope, it's old and crotchety and it refused to talk to the newer grids."

"Oh praise God…" Billy answered with feeling. "Praise God, praise the Great Power…we've just been handed a miracle..."

"The miracle will come if I can get it to cooperate with us." Kim said, but she was smiling as she said it. "It's old, and it doesn't like me very much… although it did help me when I needed it… and it seemed interested when I went out there after the meeting adjourned, but it won't have anything to do with crystals and modern zords and morphers. It will only help us if we use good old fashioned coins and animal DNA."

Billy grinned and held up a coin with a flamingo's head on it. He twisted it and the light bounced off it creating the illusion that it was glowing.

"Yes." Kim nodded. "That's what gave me the idea. Is it too late to stop work on the new stuff and start creating animal zords?"

"Never say never." Billy grinned. "And I like a challenge…I'm sure I can also dig up something from storage."

"You still have the designs for Zordon's old morphers?" She asked.

"As if he throws anything away." Trini answered, coming up from behind and wrapping her arms around her husband.

"You promised to stay in bed." Billy growled, but he returned her hug.

"I can't." She said honestly. "I fret more in there than I do out here."

"You're ok?" Kim asked and her friend nodded, rubbing her rounding stomach.

"Too much stress I guess, but I'm fine. I just need a job to keep my mind and fingers occupied."

"Then here." Billy said, handing her a tray full of coins. "Sort them according to their stability."

"Where did we get all these?" She asked wondrously.

"Do you believe in magic?" Kim asked mischievously.

* * *

"How'd the meeting go?" Rocky asked as Carri returned to their room. They had made an uneasy truce before she left, but he'd fretted and paced their tiny cubicle until word came that the meeting had adjourned and had waited for her anxiously ever since. 

"It was…interesting." She said with a derisive look.

"What's that mean?" He asked.

"I get the feeling," She said hesitantly. "That our world leaders are really no more than little boys and girls squabbling out on the playground over who gets the blue shovel in the sandbox."

"That's… an interesting analogy." He said cautiously.

"Maybe I'm just biased." She said with a sigh, flopping down on her side of the bed without bothering to remove her uniform. "I mean, I've followed Kim and Jase into several councils on Eltar and we went to something or another important on Phaedos. I've even gone to Elemi's home world for a few things. This was a meeting of my world's leaders and it just seemed…kind of…blah."

"Kim did ok?" He asked and she surprised him by laughing.

"It was so damn hard not to crack up." She laughed. "She was totally doing a really bad imitation of Dimetria, all holier than thou…and, oh my god, the chair…she sat down at the start of the meeting and the chair was so damn huge, and it dropped her down so low, that her nose just about hit the table."

"Oh no…" He said, grinning.

"Jase was really pleased with her though." She added, throwing an arm over her eyes. "He was strutting around afterward like he'd done something fabulous or it was all his idea….I wanted to smack him."

"So the world evacuation is underway?"

"I think so." She said yawning. "Those that attended were going to try and influence those that didn't.

"Damn." Rocky said with feeling.

"Yeah…" She said softly.

"So are we ok?" He asked hesitantly. She moved her arm off her face and rolled her head over to look at him.

"I love you." She said simply. "And I'm not going anywhere Rocky." She added. "But I'm not ok. Not yet anyway."

"I'll take it." He said, grinning and sliding over to spoon with to her. She grabbed his arms and held them tightly around her and he squeezed back.

"Does it bother you I can't have kids?" She asked, turning and looking over her shoulder at him

"No babe." He said gently, rubbing her arms and kissing her neck softly. "It's never bothered me."

"It bothers me." She said, rolling back over. Careful to keep it hidden from him, she clenched her fist tightly and watched as fist her fingers, then her entire hand, slowly transformed into metal.

* * *

A few short hours later, the three Ninjetti faced the four evil Rangers with far more confidence than they actually felt. They would get one shot at this, they all knew it. As the warriors faced off, the evil green slowly drew his sword and crossed it over his chest in salute. 

"Four Rangers against three Ninjetti hardly seems a fair fight." Jason called across the distance that separated them. His dark green Ninjetti robes an oddly perverse contrast to the evil one's glimmering gold shield and shining spandex.

It was late at night, nearly midnight, and a hot wind blew furiously through what was left of Angel Grove park. Most of the trees had already blown over, litter was everywhere, and the smell of smoke was growing stronger by the minute. The electricity had long since cut out and the only light was from the full moon hanging hauntingly orange colored above them.

"What did you have in mind?" The evil green asked ominously.

"Green against green." He challenged. "Just you and me Tommy. You know that's what you always wanted. One final battle to see who's left standing." Slowly, he drew forth the new, specially made sword that had been recently added to his uniform by Billy.

Tommy brought his sword up to his armored chin as if considering the idea, then sliced it downward in an arc across to his side. "Not exactly a fair fight…for you." He growled, stepping forward. As he did so, the two other Ninjetti parted and the evil Rangers backed away, leaving Jason and Tommy facing each other in the center of a makeshift ring. "Then again," He baited, "I always did enjoy an easy warm up."

Kim watched, her heart pounding, as the two began their fight. Easily at first, as if testing the waters, then with more power behind the blows. It was doubtful that Tommy had been left with the memory of Jason's Muirantian power, but Teeg knew him as the son of Maligore, so they couldn't eliminate the possibility.

Kim didn't want it to come to that yet. They needed to save as many surprises as they could for later. As the fight became more intense, the blows of the swords clanging in the night with more frequency and resonance, she stealthily pushed a small button on her belt, signaling Billy and Hayley to activate the device she'd planted nearby.

As the two fighters circled around each other, Kira was the first to go down, cradling her helmet and screaming with pain. Tommy turned to her, momentary distracted by her cry and the odd sensations he himself was experiencing. It was all Jason needed. He sprang forward, tackling Tommy to the ground and destroyed his sword.

Kim held her breath, heart pounding anxiously and waited for the tell-tale energy withdrawal to hit Tommy, but nothing happened. The destruction of his sword had left him off balance, but he quickly recovered. Standing back up, he warily faced Jason again.

Everyone was silent, the evil Rangers wondering what had just happened and the Ninjetti baffled that their plan had backfired. Slowly, cruelly, Tommy began to laugh. It was an evil laugh, hard and spiteful and Kim's heart sank.

"Fools!" He yelled. "Did you honestly think my mistress would allow you to exploit a known weakness?" He snarled. "Rita controls the Mystic Mother, their knowledge is one. My evil powers are no longer dependant on a mere sword, they're embedded within the coin itself!"

Kira was now on the ground screaming and even as he taunted them Kim saw him warble momentarily, then turn ever so slightly translucent. It was working, she knew it was working, but it wasn't enough. She watched as the two other Rangers picked Kira up from the ground and transported out with her.

Without thinking she ran to Tommy, if he transported now, they would have revealed the Dinogem weakness to Teeg and she couldn't take the chance the villain would immunize Tommy against it. At her approach, he lunged at her and Carri screamed, but Kim held still, unwilling to defend herself and Tommy stopped his attack just short of its mark, coming to a halt just centimeters from her.

"I have the answers you seek." She said breathlessly, stepping forward and pressing herself against him. She could feel him jerk at her touch, but he didn't back away, so she pressed herself even closer, pulling off her hood and knowing he could feel her heart pounding from beneath her robes. "You're more than what you've been told." She whispered, close to his shoulder, and again she felt him lurch at her words. Good, she thought, he's already aware of the struggle within him. "Meet me on the hill just before sunrise." She said breathlessly, slipping a small red crystal into his gloved hand. "And I will tell you everything."

"And how do I know you will not feed me more lies?" He growled, but he hadn't moved away from her, in fact, he seemed to be pressing himself closer, almost welcoming the contact.

"You want me." Kim whispered seductively and he instantly backed away an inch. "Meet me on the hill and I'm yours." She whispered, looking directly into his visor. Tommy didn't respond, instead he turned his back on her and transported away.

"Are you insane?" Jason screeched, coming up from behind her and whirling her around. "You idiot! That's not our Tommy. He could have killed you!"

"The device wasn't enough to break Teeg's control." Kim answered, shaking off his hand on her arm. "And destroying the sword didn't release him either. It's only a matter of time before Teeg figures out what we're doing."

"That is no reason to throw yourself at him." Jason argued.

"You saw what happened." She said, an oddly powerful and seductive look slipping into her eyes. "Even under an evil spell, nothing can stop him from wanting the answers to who and what he is…and nothing can stop him from wanting me." She said, eyes glowing a deep, throbbing red. "Tommy said his evil power is linked directly to his coin...I think I know exactly how to turn him back. The next time he comes to me, it will be on my terms"

"What do you mean?" Carri asked warily, hoping her friend didn't mean what she thought she meant.

"Magic is always strongest just before sunrise." Kim said ominously. "Magic allows me to create coins..." She said harshly, giving her friends a ruthless look, "…And that same magic will let me destroy them."


	19. Chapter 19: Countdown

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 19: Countdown

* * *

Kim makes a last ditch effort to get Tommy back as the rest of the Rangers prepare themselves for the final confrontation to come.

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri, including Jessica McCaffery, belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The Solar Force Ranger is Chris incarnate… and I've taken massive liberties with his origins (but it's my AU he's playing in). The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

_**All events in The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

* * *

_Author's notes :_

1. There is a crossover in this chapter with KJ's Legacy Series which takes place between chapters 10 &11.

2. According to PR cannon: Dimetria said that perhaps the Phantom Ranger was an Eltaran voyager and no one, not even she, would know his purpose until he chose to tell them. He was last seen in a weakened condition just _**after**_ the Zordon Wave, in the company of the Blue Centurion, presumably on his home planet; which was a desert world and definitely not Eltar. Also, The _UK Power Rangers Annual_ for 1998 contained the following biographical information on the Phantom Ranger: "This mysterious character embodies the spiritual essence of all Power Rangers, past and present. He is part real, part ghost and never discloses his identity." ……_But I like to think he's very real, with a very real identity...and that's where my version of the story begins_...

3. Yes, I admit it in advance, I took liberties with PR cannon regarding Bulk and Skull…(but it made the story work)

* * *

"Oh no…." Jason growled menacingly. "No….no…no…KIMBERLY!" He bellowed, turning on his heel and marching out of the conference room . Those left behind simply looked at one another in confusion and listened to him roar outside the door. "Absolutely not…are you fucking insane!" He growled. No-one could hear the answer, it was just silent, then Jason roared again, "Not on my watch!" and then there was silence again. This time the quiet stretched out for so long that the occupants of the room shifted nervously and exchanged anxious looks. Finally, Kim walked into the room wearing a thin, strained look, followed by her Muirantian twin, who looked absolutely murderous. 

"Edward…" Kim said in welcome, smiling thinly at the tall blond man seated just a little away from the others gathered. He rose as she approached and hugged her warmly, but Jason's wary eyes never left him and the caustic glare he gave the man caused the others to hesitate.

"Odonna, Leanbow, Daggeron" She said, turning to her friends, "This is Edward Moon. He's a…very good friend of the Mystic Mother's." She said by way of introduction. "He's going to guide you through Rita's dungeons and help you rescue her. He can get you in and then get you out, but the rest is up to you."

"Your help is very much appreciated Mr. Moon." Odonna said politely, bowing to the blond man. She cast one wary glace at Jason, whose face was so red with rage that it was nearly purple and wondered at the hostility. She didn't know Jason well, only knew that he was Kimberly's twin. It was Kimberly, or K as she was known in the Mystic Realm, who was sent by the Mystic Mother to help them defeat the evil forces all those decades ago. It was Kimberly she trusted. Still, she wondered what bad blood could exist between the two men to make Jason second guess his sibling so vocally.

"I'll leave you now to formulate your plans." Kim said, exhaustion clear in her voice. "Unfortunately, there's been a contingency that I have to see to. I won't be able to help you with the planning stages, but Edward has my complete faith in seeing the Mystic Rangers safely to the Lunar Palace and back."

"What's happened?" Edward asked, obviously startled that she wasn't remaining. Jason growled, low and challenging, but the other man ignored him.

"Tommy…" Kim said softly, slowing raising her eyes to meet his. "Teeg didn't kill him, she ordered Rita to convert him again."

"Power Preserve us…" Edward whispered, a horrified look on his face, and Kim nodded.

"What's this?" Odonna asked.

"I'll let Edward explain." Kim answered apologetically. "For now I have to leave you. If I can, I'll return before you go, if not…Good journey Mystic Force."

She bowed once, slowly, and the teens present were surprised to see Odonna, Leanbow and Daggeron bow in return. "Good journey." They returned to her. Kim blanched, gave Edward a hesitant look, then caught Jason's eye and nodded. The two exited the room, leaving the others curiously watching them from behind.

* * *

"Can someone please tell me where Kat Manx is?" Billy growled as he strode down the hallway, all but crashing into Kim and Jason as they left the conference room. 

"She's over at Lightspeed." Jason answered, still in a foul mood. "She get's funny around humans…or rather, they get funny around her. There were too many of them pouring into level eight, so she asked if she could work over at Lightspeed for a while."

"Damnit…" Billy cursed, bringing his hands up and digging into his hair with his fingers.

"What?' Kim asked, not surprised at his foul mood, but surprised at his cursing.

"Trini's not doing well." He sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes and looking extremely worn. "She was just sitting there sorting coins and noticed she was bleeding."

"Christ…" Jason swore. "Alright, let me find Emily."

"She's a neurology resident." Kim reminded him.

"She's still a doctor." Jason answered, turning and striding quickly back down the narrow hall.

"And that means she'll know more about babies than the medical computers?" Kim asked in an exhausted tone to his retreating back.

Billy shrugged and leaned back against the wall of the corridor, allowing his head to bang backwards against the paneling and closing his eyes. "It can't hurt I guess." He sighed, looking to Kim far older than he had that morning.

She was slightly worried for him, he'd been artificially aged and, although that didn't necessarily translate into less energy, he was obviously struggling to keep up with the stress of the situation. "I'm going to contact Lightspeed and bring Manx back." He said, opening his eyes and giving her a frank look. Kim didn't answer, she simply nodded and Billy marched off toward the doorway portal he'd set up which would take him back into the Command Center proper.

* * *

"You see? I told you, just like last time. The guards are going to switch again. They'll turn and for just a few seconds…" 

"I don't think this is such a good idea Bulk." Skull said hesitantly. "I mean, we already kinda know who they are…and if Dr. Oliver finds out…"

"Will you shush!" Bulk admonished. "He's not going find out, those two this morning said they hadn't seen him around at all."

"I dunno Bulk…"

"Listen, I haven't been sitting here, through two sets of guard changes, just to miss my chance of getting inside." Bulk warned, cheeks flushing.

"But how do we know that's really their secret power chamber?"

"Because that's where all the uniforms are going in and out." Bulk said over-tolerantly, as if the answer were obvious and he'd said it a thousand times. "Now…just like we planned it. There they go…" He whispered as the Silver Guardians stopped to talk with each other as they changed shifts. "One…two…three...GO!" He whispered hoarsely and Skull felt a heavy fist clamp down on his shoulder and grab a handful of his shirt as Bulk moved them both forward.

* * *

"They want how much?" Kim asked and Andros again told her the sum the government of KO-34 was asking for the colony on KO-35. "Uhm…is there that much asbestos on the entire planet?" She asked, brow knotting as she tried to decipher the data and facts Andros was rattling off at her. 

"It's not that simple." Andros replied, somewhat apologetically. "Yes, they're very eager to receive what we have to offer and they're even more interested in keeping KO-35 a human colony if it can't be strictly a Kaoan colony, and I think they're the most eager to have a Ranger outpost that close by…for their own defense if nothing else…but they want to negotiate the terms and conditions and I just don't think I'm qualified to do that."

"Then get qualified." Kim said a bit more harshly than she'd intended. She was worn out and her deadline to meet Tommy was fast approaching. She had too much to do in the meantime, it was insane; she didn't want to be in charge anymore. She didn't have time for her own anxieties, let another Ranger's, but securing that colony was an important contingency, so she had made time when Andros ambushed her in the halls.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"You're a red Ranger… and a senior red at that."

"But… there should be someone else besides me making these decisions." He argued hesitantly. "What they're demanding, I'm not sure it's reasonable…I mean, it's doable…sort of…and we're talking about an entire planet, not just a house or something… but I don't want to promise what's not mine to give."

"Who do you have in mind?" She countered and when he shrugged and gave her a baffled look, she closed her eyes and willed a calm answer. "You have twenty-four hours to get this done; most of which has already expired. Do you honestly want to stop and form a committee?"

"I'm just saying I don't want to make decisions like this on my own. I mean, do I have the authority to promise what I don't actually own? What belongs to someone else?"

"It's the asbestos they want, right?"

"Well…primarily…but the kind that's used for insulation, like we pulled out of Tommy's house. They use it for the new engine cores they're developing and it's a seriously precious commodity on KO-34."

"Do we have that much on hand?" Kim asked tolerantly.

"No, but it's fairly easily manufactured and they're willing to take it in installments."

"Then the Power Rangers will go into the asbestos removal business when this is all over and mask it as a public service…providing we have a planet left."

"Billy says what we need will most likely survive to be manufactured later." He added hopefully.

"Well then, you have your answer." She said flatly. "Look Andros, this is an extraordinary time. The best possible outcome we can hope for will make all your work on this unnecessary, but we can't take the chance that Teeg will win. Even if we beat her, even if we push her off this planet, there's still a very real risk that she'll have done enough damage to make it unlivable for humans. We can risk it. Go forward…finish this up…if you want someone to give you authority, then I give you the authority of the Red Assembly…we just don't have time to pull everyone back and debate it. If you still want more approval, spend the next hour tracking down as many reds as you can find and tell them the situation. Just don't waste too much time on it ok?"

"Ok." He said hesitantly, nodding his head and rubbing his hands on the side of his uniform as if they were sweating.

"Andros…" Kim said softly, drawing his attention back to her. "I just ordered the leaders of this world to evacuate their populations." She said, and he nodded. "Do you think I have the authority to do that?"

"Of course." He answered. "You have to get the people to safety somehow. We don't have enough Rangers to do it."

"Yes…and if Teeg destroys this planet, we still have to get the population to safety somehow. What you're doing is no different than I did. No one gave me the authority to tell the world leaders to begin evacuations…I just did it. There was no one else who could, just like there's no one else to negotiate with your people for that colony."

Andros nodded slowly, still not looking very convinced, but understanding what she was trying to tell him.

"Just do your best." Kim counseled, placing one hand on his shoulder. "And if people complain later…we'll shoot them."

"Huh?" He asked, head snapping up.

"Joking." She said, beginning to move away down the hall. "Just joking." She called back over her shoulder.

* * *

"Oh my god…" Kat breathed, half in wonder and half in fond remembrance as she, Cassie, and Ashley activated the main power network in the UAOH base where the zords were stored. "I can't believe all this stuff is still all here." 

"You forget how big they are." Cassie said, looking up at the Zeo zords, stored quietly in their holding docks and waiting for the signal from the grid to activate.

"You remember trying to clean them?" Kat giggled and Cassie grinned, rolling her eyes.

"Monster slime in the joint mechanism…." Ashley groaned, coming up and standing next to her friends. "I used to hate trying to get that stuff out. It smelled sooo bad…"

"Oh please, this from the girl that would leave her stuff floating in space so that the goo would crystallize and fall off by itself." Cassie drolled, crossing her arms sternly in front of her, but she smiled playfully. Ashley had never been very neat and the two had had more than one argument about it while living together in close the quarters of the Megaship.

"It worked." Ashley insisted, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile.

"No, it didn't." Cassie spat back. "It would freeze and break off, falling on the floor, and you'd just leave it there for one of the drones to vacuum up."

"Like I said," Ashley grinned mischievously. "It worked. I didn't have to spend an hour prying it out like you guys did." She answered and Cassie groaned dramatically.

"Alright girls." Kat interrupted, "Let's remember what we're here for."

"Medical beds." Cassie said matter of factly, spinning around and pulling a small electronic note board out of the main console. She scrolled through a series of blue prints until she found the screen she was looking for. "They're stored on level thirty-two, hall five, lockers seventeen through thirty."

"How do we get there from here?" Kat asked, walking up alongside her.

"I haven't a freak'n clue." Cassie answered as the clip board flashed through a series of maps and directions. The UAOH base was not exactly well laid out. The storage and supply rooms were built around the zord docks, which meant they couldn't go directly where they needed. They would have to go up and around and then back down to find the storage lockers containing the medical beds they needed. "Are you any better at understanding Billy's filing system?" She asked Kat, who shook her head no. "Alright then…." She sighed, squinting a little harder at the small screen and trying to program it to slow down. "We go out this door and turn…. left."

"Sounds good to me." Ashley answered and opened the small access door, gesturing for her friends to proceed her.

* * *

"We're in!" Bulk squealed softly, hardly believing his luck. He balled his fists together under his large chin in excitement and all but danced behind the door they'd ducked through. 

"Yeah…but where are we in?" Skull asked, looking around the dark room. They should've been caught, all common sense said they should have been caught, but the guards were young and tired and not really expecting trouble, so they'd managed to sneak past in the darkened corridor while they chatted about getting something to eat and when they were supposed to be on duty next.

"Looks like a storage room." Bulk said, glancing around the closet. He turned and fumbled haphazardly around the stacks of towels, blankets and pillows, finally turning around with a triumphant smile. "Eureka!" He grinned, holding up two identical grey uniforms and wiggling his eyebrows.

"What're those for?" Skull asked, his forehead deeply frowned.

"These," Bulk said, throwing one at his friend and searching messily over the shelves for a larger size for himself, "Are our ticket inside."

"But I thought we were already inside." Skull responded, then winced as Bulk shot him a frustrated, pressure cooker sort of look.

"Just put it on numbskull." Bulk hissed.

* * *

"I wish I'd never mentioned it." Jason swore heavily, sliding back into the easy chair Billy had pushed off to the side of his lab. He nearly melted into the old thing, hands shaking slightly, and realizing just how fatigued he really was. 

"If you hadn't…" Kim answered, leaning heavily against the counter, "I'd be totally out of ideas."

They were alone in the big lab, most of the techs having gone to eat or grab a few precious minutes of sleep. Billy had taken Trini to the Command Center proper and various bins of gold coins lay scattered across the surface of the table where she'd simply left them.

"Yeah…well, for the record…" He said, pausing a little and giving her a significant look. "This one sucks; even if it was mine."

"If you can improve on it, please… don't leave me in the dark." She answered with a huge yawn. Just a few hours more and she'd have to meet Tommy on the hillside by her grandfather's house. She needed the last of the details firmly pinned down in case anything went wrong.

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking." He said edgily. That was the problem; he couldn't think of anything else either. They were only eighteen hours in and, given the enormity of what they had to do, they were doing really well…astoundingly well…but they had barely scratched the surface. Many things were working simply because there was no time to argue. Things had to get done, so they were either getting finished or not … and no one was stopping to contemplate it one way or another. "I won't lose you over this." He growled in frustration.

"Believe me, I'm not anxious." She said with feeling. "But the facts remain that I'm already targeted…you and I both know that once the Guardians decide something…they don't just turn on a dime. They'll be back for me, and they'll send more than Netau next time. If I gotta go, I might as well go out saving everyone else."

"There's another way." Jason argued stubbornly and she sighed heavily.

"There's the legend you were talking about…" She said cautiously. "Legends like that are usually laced with truth, and I've heard Thomas mention it…I could try and find Primus, get him to point the way."

"You're not a Triforian." Jason huffed back. "The legend says the three have to divide into their separate selves and seek it beyond the Desert of Devastation. You're good kiddo, but you can't divide yourself into three parts."

"I found Ninjor…" She reminded him.

"This is totally different." Jason huffed, shifting around uncomfortably in the large chair.

"Tommy had a dream the night before Teeg captured him." She said, changing the conversation so quickly that he squinted in confusion and turned toward her. "He saw the tower, the destruction of the mega-ship bunker…and he saw me in triplicate."

"You think it had something to do with the Triad crystal?" He asked.

"I dunno." She said honestly, almost helplessly. "He only told me about it quickly, there wasn't time for…" Her voice stopped and she swallowed hard, closing her eyes. "I only remembered it because I was laying down in bed a few hours ago wishing I could clone myself. He said he saw me with red eyes, me without red eyes, and me as a teenager all walking together out of the ruins of NASADA."

"Leave it to Tommy to dream of triplets…" Jason grumbled.

"I've been thinking about what Thomas might have been trying to tell me…I mean, before this happened. He studied inter-dimensional travel and timeline restoration with Primus."

"Jesus Christ Kim." Jason spat, pulling himself upward in the chair. "Are you honestly gonna listen to that maniac? After he betrayed you again?"

"He didn't have a choice." Kim countered flatly, eerily detached from her words.

"Bullshit. He didn't want to have a choice." He spat, shifting roughly in his chair again.

"I was thinking…" She said, still half musing her thoughts out loud. "I think I know who the other two Kims are."

"And…" He asked when she didn't continue.

"And…if I'm right, I can bring them here." She answered, giving him a hesitant look.

"You've lost it…" He said grumpily, sitting forward and lowering the footrest.

"No, I'm serious." She said, turning to face him. "Both of them have defeated Kemora; they're strong. Kemora is as big of a threat as Teeg. If she gets her hands on the Power Chamber on Muirantias…she could take Teeg's forces anywhere…anywhen in the universe."

"Kimberly, you and I both know Kemora isn't gonna work with anyone when she gets a chance to break loose."

"No, but she's fully capable of killing Teeg and taking her armada. Do you really want that kind of power and organization in her hands?"

"So you think you can take these other two Kims with you after the crystal?" He asked. He didn't like this plan, didn't like the idea of taking alternates out of their dimensions; anything could happen. It was situation that would be almost impossible to control and very capable of snowballing into something disastrous for the universe.

"No…" Kim said, thinking hard. "I can't risk three Kims disappearing forever if I fail. It would be…well, I couldn't risk it…but I could get one to help with Teeg and put the other in charge of thwarting Kemora while I'm off searching for the crystal. Then, if I don't come back, this world would still have two of me to see this battle through…that might come in handy if Kemora stays around and fights the final battle with Teeg…and everything right now kind of indicates that's what she's gonna do."

"You're nuts…you know that?" He said gruffly.

"One is young, with a lot of fight in her." Kim continued as if she hadn't heard him. "She'd need direction, but it could work. The other is paralleling me, but without Muirantian powers. If I go after the Triad…and I don't come back…You could take the one who's defeated her twice with you to Muirantias and the other one, with the young team, you could put under Carter's direction after the towers."

"No." Jason said firmly.

"Think about it."

"No."

"Jason, one way or another we need the power to destroy those towers…and if I could get not only the Kims, but the whole team to come…they'd still be able to morph off their resident grids."

"No." Jason said again.

"You and I know both what's coming." She reasoned. "The others don't. We can't do this with one ancient grid. If we're gonna do what's never been done, even by Zordon himself, then we're gonna have to think out of the box and get help wherever and whenever we can."

"No."

"Jase, with what we have now…it's not gonna work. Even though I have huge faith in Billy, he's distracted, however justifiably, and he's just not…have you looked at him? He looks…old…like everything's aging him again." She hesitated for a second, hoping she wasn't unjustifiably wronging her friend, but it was true; he was having a hard time juggling everything. "The Rangers are pulling together," She continued. "But we don't have the power we need. It's not getting done fast enough and we both know it." She said earnestly, eyes appealing to him.

"Tommy would have a shit-fit." He growled, trying to think of something, anything, that would shut her idea down.

"You know I'm right." She insisted. The more she thought about it, the more she knew she was on the right tract. "Netau cheated, I know he did. I have the proof…I just can't show it to anyone." She admitted with a sigh. "If he cheated in order to kill me, to sacrifice my world just for his own malicious revenge…then I'm willing to cheat to save it."

"No, you're totally wrong." He growled unhappily. "It's the most insane idea you've ever come up with…and I've been around for a good many of them."

"You have another answer?" She asked. "Because if you do, I'm ready and eager to hear it. If I can bring the other two teams in, you'll have two fully functioning teams of Rangers to fight…you'll need that if I can't make it back with the crystal and purge the grids here."

"Christ…." He swore, reluctantly coming around to the plan, shoulders slumping. He didn't have any other ideas. If they lived, Tommy would kill him for letting Kim take the risks she was talking about.

"Then I can to talk to Carri and Karone?" She said quietly. "They're the only two from this dimension I'd trust to bring with me. We're not Triforian, but we're three strong female Rangers from the same era."

"Oh God…not both of you." He groaned. He couldn't stand the thought of both of his girls racing off and not coming back. "Both of you shouldn't go." He argued. The whole idea was insane. He only knew about the legend because of his connections with Trey. It had been a drinking conversation, tales told over alcohol in a better, quieter, time. Like most legends, there was a lot of truth in it..and Kim knew Primus, the keeper of that crystal, actually existed.…but he wished he'd never mentioned any of it to her.

"Jase…" She appealed softly.

"Talk to them." He said in a resigned tone, heart sinking. "See what they think…but it's still an insane idea."

"As Tommy used to say," She said in a sad, bemused tone, "Sometimes it's the insane ideas that ensure the victory."

* * *

"Cassie, this docking area is off limits." Ashley protested, sounding more whiney than argumentative as Cassie threw open the door and descended the scaffolding stairs. 

"This whole base is off limits." Cassie muttered over her shoulder. She was tired and frustrated and wanted to get their little foraging trip over with as soon as possible. She was slightly pissed that she'd been overlooked and shuffled over to infirmary duty instead of scheduled to fight, but she held her peace and did her part.

"The map on the clipboard says to go the other way." Kat reasoned. "We could end up completely lost in here." She complained. She was getting as tired and frustrated as her friends. All they needed to do was come out to the UAOH base, tag a few medical beds with transporter clips, then transport them back to the infirmary they were setting up. But it had taken the better part on an hour to navigate the narrow halls and stairways, only to find out what they needed was right in front of them, but completely unreachable unless they backtracked and went up two more levels and then back down another stairway. It was frustrating and maddening and all three were ready to pull their hair out.

"Look…" Cassie said, turning and showing the digital clipboard map to her two friends. "We don't have to go back all the way. We can cut through this docking bay, go up the stairs on the other side and, viola! We're there."

"Fine." Ashley said with exasperation. "Let's just do it and get it over with." She marched past Cassie and ducked under the bow first old ship docked in the landing bay, only to stop short, causing both Kat and Cassie to run into her.

"Ashley!" Both of them fussed simultaneously. When she didn't answer, they followed her stunned gaze to the second of four ships parked in the large bay.

"Oh my God…" Cassie whispered, visibly stricken.

"What?" Kat asked, looking between Cassie and Ashley in confusion. She watched in silence as Cassie all but staggered forward, mesmerized, as if in a trance.

"The Phantom Ranger's ship." Ashley answered softly, when Cassie had passed them. Both watched her walk slowly across the hanger, closing the distance to the little ship. "Come on." Ashley said to Kat, moving toward her friend "This isn't going to be easy for her."

They closed the gap slowly, wanting to help her, but also wanting to give her space as she stopped and simply stared at the old metal hull. Cassie didn't look back at them, simply walked forward and stopped, eyes transfixed.

"Did you know this was here?" Kat asked Ashley in a whisper. Ashley shook her head no and both exchanged significant looks behind Cassie's back. It was well known between the two friends that Cassie had been head over heels in love with the Phantom, a Ranger whose face she'd never seen, but had completely devoted her young sixteen year old heart to. Unfortunately, the Phantom had reportedly died on a far off desert planet shortly after the Zordon wave. The Blue Centurion had reportedly returned his lifeless power ruby to Tommy, who had, in turn, handed it over to Cassie through Andros.

At the time, she'd been devastated, crying for weeks on end, but in later years, she had simply shrugged it off as a silly schoolgirl crush. Ashley hadn't been fooled though. Cassie didn't date much. She'd allow her friends and family to set her up once in a while, had even entertained a boyfriend or two for a few weeks, but she'd never allowed any of them to get close; always breaking things off before they got too serious.

"Come on Cassie." She said softly after a few minutes, gently laying her hand on her friend's shoulder. "We have an assignment to complete."

"I can feel him Ash." Cassie whispered, eyes closed and fingers lightly caressing the metal. It had been so long since she'd felt his presence. She'd waited and waited, held on to any hope. She'd always known when he was close, but there had been nothing. She hadn't even been able to feel him in the lifeless ruby that had once contained his life-force. Yet here, in the metal of the old ship, she knew she felt him; felt…something.

"You have his power ruby." Ashley said gently. "He's not here Cassie. He's gone. It's just an empty ship sitting in storage."

Cassie swallowed hard and gave one last, long, pain filled look at the small ship she'd thought she'd never see again. Nodding her head, she silently turned and walked methodically across the large docking bay to the exit she'd been directing her friends toward. Before she left, she turned and took one more long look, then followed her friends as they exited the hanger; leaving the small craft and all its memories behind her.

Unseen, from inside ship, the former Solar Force red Ranger edged away from the cockpit window. "That was her, wasn't it?" He asked his companion, who slowly, almost reluctantly, edged away from the other window. "That was her…wasn't it?" He asked again, the look on his face almost daring the other man to deny it.

"Shut up Chris." The older man growled, sliding back into the cockpit chair, and mentally chastising himself for snapping at the boy. It wasn't his fault. He ground his jaw together and stared at the ceiling of the ship, mindlessly watching the various lights blink as they indicated various functions and the completion of the maintenance check he'd run. This was what he'd stuck around for wasn't it? He asked himself silently. To see her safely in the Ranger's care, make sure she escaped the destruction of the towers.

Teeg was as much his enemy as K's; probably even more so. Eons ago, the catlike demon had destroyed everything he'd held dear; his friends, his family, even his body. It had been worth the sacrifice. Teeg and her master had been banished. Unfortunately, nothing was forever. Now Teeg was back, was trying to free her master. Zordon was gone, Lerigot was old, Lerigot's son too young to succeed him, and Dulcea was trapped in a sub-dimension on Phaedos. He was nearly all of the old guard who remained.

Kimberly had screamed at him that he should have bolted the minute Teeg made orbit; not turned around and raced right back. But he knew what the towers meant as much as she and Jason did; he hadn't been able to bear the thought of his friends dying like that; of Cassie being caught in the middle of it without shelter. If he had to, he'd scoop her up himself and drop her off on Eltar or any other planet she wanted to go to.

"So…we're just gonna sit here and let her walk off?" Chris asked, breaking the silence and plopping ungracefully with a thud into the opposite chair.

"No." The other man said testily, standing up and looking out the window at the now empty doorway. "We're going to go help them find whatever it is Kim sent her out here to find."

"And if that's you?" He countered seriously. The older man turned and gave him a sardonic look. "Yeah…right…" Chris answered his own question unenthusiastically. "Well, I guess chasing after an old girlfriend who doesn't even know you still exist beats hanging around in an empty hanger …I mean, since we're not even supposed to be here…"

"Stay then." The other man said indifferently. He keyed a sequence into the wall panel and the hatch of the ship hissed open, lowering a small stairway to the hanger floor below.

"Hey, I'm the one who didn't want to wait this thing out in the ship to begin with." Chris complained as he followed. "But you insisted this wasn't our fight, that we just had to sit around and wait it out, make sure the coins we delivered to Kimberly don't fall into Teeg's hands…" He stopped short as his companion whirled on him with a hard, no nonsense look. "Yeah right, I know…shut up Chris." He mumbled, following his friend out into the hanger and keying the door sequence to shut behind them.

* * *

Kim heaved a huge sigh of relief as she passed through the guarded entrance from the family section of level eight. It was just past five in the morning and she would have to meet up with Tommy in about half an hour. She'd been surprised to see he parents and brother up and watching the evacuation news on a large television screen in the main common area, but, to her relief, her sister and stepsisters were still asleep in their quarters. 

It wasn't that Kim didn't like her stepsisters, she just didn't want to deal with the drama that seemed to perpetually surround them; not this morning anyway, not so close to seeing Tommy. Being the oldest of two was fine, but merging with Andre's family and becoming the oldest of six had been a tough adjustment. Andre's girls were very spoiled and not very happy at first to have a new stepmother walk in and bring order to their lives.

Genevieve, or Gigi, was the oldest of the pack and, at six years her junior, the most avoided by Kim. As Jason referred to her bluntly, and occasionally even to her face, she was what he called a man-eater; referring to her in private as a wannabe lesbian dominatrix. Kim frowned and fussed at him when he used the term, but she had yet to correct him. She was what she was.

Gigi had been furious to learn she was no longer the first born leader of the pack and had never stopped trying to prove to Kim that she was better than her. She hated the fact that Kim had beaten her to the Pan Games and, when she finally made it herself, participating in the winter games six years after Kim's summer run, she was mortified to place twelfth. From that point on, Kim couldn't deal with her temper and had simply given up trying.

Sophia, just over a year younger than Gigi, was her polar opposite. Happily and contentedly married just over a year to a man older than Andre, she had no greater ambition than to be the perfect mother and eventually the perfect grandmother. She was so sweet and so loving, no one could get enough of her. In fact the only fault Kim or anyone else could find was that she was dumber than a doorknob and so absent minded that even her husband fretted she was fully capable of leaving their future children in the park or the shopping center.

Angelique, at eighteen, had been the baby of the family until Charlotte had come along. Kim knew her the least well of her stepsisters as she had chosen to stay with her mother in Switzerland rather than live with a new stepmother in Paris. She had toyed with being a gymnast at one time, which gave her something in common with her stepsister, but had one day simply stopped going to the gym and fallen in love with the idea of becoming a famous writer, or singer, or model, or actor…just something famous. Kim rarely, if ever, saw her but they did exchange the occasional email once in a while. Kim often suspected she was also secretly in love with her stepbrother, Michael, but she was young and flighty and Michael was oblivious; so she held her tongue.

She'd been glad to find just her little immediate family up and about. She'd wanted to see them again just in case things didn't turn out well. She was beyond nervous over what was to come. There was so much room for error it wasn't funny.

First and foremost, there was a very real possibility that Tommy could kill her or that she could kill him. The evil green Ranger was nothing if not unpredictable…and he didn't have a copy of the Dragonzord coin; he had the original. It was a very, very powerful coin and she wasn't entirely sure what would happen when she destroyed it. She could kill Tommy…or she might even kill them both.

One thing was certain, once the evil green was gone, Teeg would begin her attack; she wouldn't ignore that kind of a first strike by Kim. This seriously shortened the time they had anticipated they would have to evacuate the population, but she also fervently hoped it would also decrease the power of the towers. If Teeg acted rashly and attacked before they were at full power, they might have a chance.

That left the problem of the grids. They simply didn't have enough power to morph enough Rangers. The grids would have to be purged; one way or another. Jason was adamant that she not sacrifice herself and form a mini Zordon wave. She wasn't exactly eager for that outcome herself, but she was the one targeted by Netau's cronies and they'd be out for blood as soon as it was discovered what she'd done. She wasn't entirely sure she had much time to live anyway.

They had agreed, at last, to seek out Primus and the Triad crystal, but the logistics were a nightmare in and of itself. Carri and Karone were on board, both understanding they might not come back, and both adamant that they'd do anything to turn Teeg's evil Rangers back around and save Earth from destruction.

If the Muirantian contingency wasn't there, Jason would have been fine on his own, but if Teeg gave Kemora Lerigot's key and she transported to the temple of power there, he'd have to go and fight her; the Wildforce team simply wouldn't have enough power on Kemora's home turf. By traveling through time and dimensions, transporting back two other alternate Ranger teams, he would be able to leave one fully active team behind on Earth and take one with him to Muirantias; almost ensuring him a victory there.

Kim struggled greatly with the justification of snatching two Ranger teams from their home dimensions. She rationalized that both had been effected by Kemora and were therefore fair game to help clean up Kemora's mess, but it was a thin argument at best. Teeg was in an alliance with the demon, but there was really no justification for sending an alternate team against her; it wasn't their fight. She was cheating and she needed to come to grips and accept that she was cheating. It was only slightly comforting that Netau had cheated too, but still…

She snapped her mind away from uncertain thoughts. Now was not the time. She had to succeed. There was no other choice; no time for any doubts. If all went in their favor, she'd bring Carri and Karone back with the Triad crystal and purge the grid system. As a last and final contingency, if she didn't return and the outcome was in question, Jason would sacrifice his life energy, using his own Muirantian powers to purge the grid himself.

She turned her thoughts firmly back to the next task she had in front of her. If she thought about the whole picture she'd get completely overwhelmed. They had a plan. She had to implement her part one single step at a time and think about it in small parts.

This brought her mind back to her husband and she allowed her heart to ache a little for him. His mother was in the family section as well, desperate for news of him, but all Kim could manage to tell her was that she was meeting up with him this morning. Kim closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer to the Great Power. It had never been very kind to her, exacting a high price for each small moment of peace and happiness. Perhaps, after this last round, she'd be able to rest a little, but in her heart she knew the only rest she'd truly know would follow her death.

* * *

"Cassie, be careful!" Kat called to her friend, then stomped her foot in frustration as Cassie ignored her. "That ladder looks like it's at least two-hundred years old." She muttered fretfully. They'd found the storage units they needed, but the medical tables they'd chosen were stored on a shelf at least a hundred feet high, if not more. There was a small mechanical lift off to one side, but it only went half way up. From there, there was a ladder of sorts built onto the side, but it was old and rickety, and the rungs wobbled precariously as Cassie put her weight on them. 

"Kat's right Cassie." Ashley called. "Let's look around again for another ladder."

"There isn't one." Cassie called testily back down to them, proving she'd been ignoring their calls for her to come back. All she had to do was climb up high enough to attach the transporter clips to the boxes containing the beds, climb back down, and then they could all transport back out to the main NASADA base.

This whole errand was only supposed to have taken them a half an hour, if that, and yet they'd wandered around the enormous zord base for the better part of two hours, completely lost. She was tired and hungry, having been up all night like all the Rangers had, and she wanted to get this mission over with and set up the damn infirmary before people started getting hurt.

So far, there had only been the occasional cut or sprain as the families settled in, but Cassie knew the Rangers were quickly reorganizing into fight mode and there were bound to be some serious injuries coming through. If she couldn't fight with them, then she'd be damn sure she didn't fail them when they needed her.

"Cassie please…" Ashley called. "She's gonna get herself killed." She fretted in a softer voice to Kat.

"What the hell is she doing?" A male voice barked behind them. Kat hadn't done a quick draw with a blaster in more than ten years, but her reflexes didn't fail her. She spun, drew, and held the blaster with dangerous authority at the approaching men.

The younger one stopped in his tracks, raising both hands up, but the older one ignored the weapon and stormed forward. Both were dressed in the same grey uniforms Jason had assigned all the Rangers, which relaxed the girls a little, but they still didn't know who the two men were and there wasn't supposed to be anyone out in the UAOH base accept them.

"That scaffolding is part of the original structure." The older man fumed, not taking his eyes off Cassie, who had just reached the shelf she was striving for. "It's thousands of years old."

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Kat demanded, impressing herself with the authority in her voice. She backed off to the side, Ashley beside her, pointing the blaster from one man to the next.

"Uhm…I'm Chris," The young blond man spoke up, lowing his hands a little. He was a good deal younger than they were, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties and showed a great deal more caution toward the women that the older man did. "I…uhm…I'm the retired red Solar Force Ranger, and that's…"

"Cassie, get down from there!" The older man barked. "You'll break your neck."

"That's …my partner." He said apologetically, blue eyes twinkling behind a lock of hair that had fallen in his face. "Kim told us to hang out here until we're needed."

"And yet," Ashley said waspishly, "You just now show yourselves?"

"You weren't doing anything this stupid until now." The older man barked. He was shorter than the other man, not much taller than Ashley, with sharp-blue grey eyes and thick, closely cropped black hair. Only on closer inspection, did they notice the lines on his face and the frosting of grey at his temples, indicating he was probably as much older than them as they were to the younger man. Depositing his heavy black flight jacket to the ground and revealing the black inset to his grey uniform, he ignored the two girls with the gun and shot past them, never taking his eyes off Cassie.

"What does he think he's doing?" Kat asked, torn between watching him go and keeping the blaster drawn.

"I think he's rescuing her." Chris answered helpfully. "He does that…can I, maybe, put my arms down now?"

Kat glanced at Ashley, who nodded, and then lowered the blaster, replacing it in the hostler at her hip. She glanced warily back at the young red, then turned her attention to the other man. He was scaling the storage scaffolding with lightening speed, trying to make his way over to where Cassie was hanging onto the outer rim of the shelf, trying to attach transport clips to the bins with the numbers she wanted.

She'd succeeded in attaching at least six clips, but as she pulled herself up to the next level, the scaffolding gave way. She screamed, causing the two women on the ground to do the same; then dropped a good two stories, catching herself by one hand on a little piece of metal jutting out from the structure. She hung there, desperately trying to grab the small pole with her other hand. Unfortunately, the hand still held the small bag of transport chips, and in her panic, she forgot to let go of it, effectively rendering it useless for herself.

"Don't panic." Chris's partner called to her from above. "I'll be right there. Just hold on." He said, lowering himself over the edge of the shelf above her. He allowed himself to drop, causing the girls on the ground to scream again, but swung his weight inward, landing with a thud on the platform just below where Cassie was hanging. Securing a handhold on the packing rope of one of the crates, he stretched outward and on the second try, was able to lock his fist around the fabric edge of her uniform pants. "When I say let go," He directed in a firm, reassuring voice. "Swing yourself inward and release your hold on the bar."

He double checked his hold on the rope, reassuring himself it would hold, then tightened his grip on Cassie. "Ready?" He asked, and she nodded. "One…two…three, let go!" He ordered and Cassie swung herself toward him, releasing her precarious hold on the bar. The man pulled her inward toward the shelf with surprising strength and, as her feet touched solid flooring, she threw her arms around him, holding on with all her might.

"Just what did you think you were trying to do up there?" He scolded, but there was relief in his voice as the words tumbled out, and returned her embrace firmly.

"Attaching transport clips to stored med-beds." She answered breathlessly. Her heart was pounding, but she managed to let go of him and lean back on the storage containers until she stopped shaking. She looked up apologetically as she slid down to the narrow floor and he closed his eyes in frustration as she hesitantly showed him the little bag with the remaining clips.

"You do realize." He said evenly, grasping for patience as he re-opened his eyes, "That you could have activated one of those clips and transported yourself safely back rather than let yourself fall like that?"

Cassie blinked at him sheepishly, realizing it would have been even better to attach one of the clips to her jacket before she made her climb, ensuring herself a safety net. "Oh…" She managed to answer quietly. She looked up at him and began to say something else, then stopped, frowning at him in confusion. He wasn't exactly a tall man, just very well built and muscular. His face was older than she'd first thought, lined by the years, and wasn't familiar to her at all, and yet…

"What is it?" He asked, concerned. "Are you hurt?"

"Only my pride." She admitted with an embarrassed smile. Then, after a few seconds added, "Do I know you?"

He stiffened and regarded her frankly. "Why would you ask?" He responded.

"I dunno, it's just…" She sighed heavily and silently reprimanded herself, she was being silly. Her heart was pounding and she was still slightly shaking from the fall. "You just…you look familiar, that's all." She said lamely.

"You spend much time on the outer rim?" He asked, a slight twinkle in his eye.

"Not anymore." She answered ruefully, looking away from him. "Not any more…"

"Then how could we know one another?" He asked and she shrugged, not answering. "Come on," He said, taking two clips out of the clear bag and attaching one to her jacket and one to his own. "We're transporting back." He called to the three figures below them and Chris waved back, picking up his discarded jacket and indicating they'd heard. Without another word, he pulled Cassie back up, needlessly holding on to her, and activated the transport clips, sending them directly back to the infirmary.

* * *

"This is never gonna work." Skull fretted as Bulk tried vainly to pull his overly tight uniform pants a little higher. "The Ranger volunteers we saw all had colors. There's no colors on these uniforms, they're all grey." 

"They're grey," Bulk said testily, "Because they're generic. The color flaps on the front must be in another bin somewhere."

"Can't we just go back to the common area and finish setting up the grills?" Skull asked.

"I've explained that before." Bulk said, patience running out. "We can't go back through the entrance until the guards change again, and that's not for another two hours and forty five minutes. Now…" He said brusquely, making a big show of straightening Skull's borrowed grey uniform and then pulling again at his own tight pants. "…we go forward until we're finally inside their secret compound."

He turned Skull around and pushed him out of the storage room door, right into a group of Overdrive Rangers who were boisterously teasing one another on their way out toward the opposite end of the hall. Skull spun around in panic, bumping into Bulk, then re-bounding off his stomach and into Mac, who caught him and kept him from falling outright into the others.

"Sorry about that." Mac said with a grin. "Didn't see you coming."

Skull gaped at him, blubbering and wobbling on weak knees. When Mac stopped and gave him a curious look, he giggled nervously and gave a weak semblance of a salute.

"Yes… sir…red…ha! Mr. red Ranger…sir…" He said in a weak, voice that rose several octaves higher than normal, haphazardly trying to straighten the flap on Mac's uniform. "Red…" He giggled his high pitched giggle again. "I ran into a red Ranger…" he laughed nervously.

Mac shifted uncomfortably, not quite sure what to do. He still wasn't entirely sure who were Rangers and who were techs, but the man in front of him was a lot older than he was and didn't have a designated Ranger color, so he assumed he was working technical support of some kind. He hesitantly returned the salute, then turned to give his friends a look which seemed to ask what he should do next.

He didn't have to worry about it, Skull's knees failed him and he began to sink slowly downward, eyes still wide open in the absolute terror of being caught.

"Are you alright?" Mac asked, turning back around and reaching out to him.

"He's fine…" Bulk said quickly, stepping forward and grabbing Skull firmly by the collar, raising him back up roughly. "…uhm…he's fine sir. I'll uh…just get him some coffee or something…sir."

"Okay…" Mac said slowly as the girls giggled behind him. "We're just gonna keep going then…" He said uncertainly, pointing towards the exit back into the main compound where the families were being housed. They turned as a group and continued on their way, bursting out laughing as they reached the exit doors.

"He saluted you." Ronny snickered as the group nudged and teased him. "I thought he was gonna faint."

"Yes sir, Mr. Red Ranger, sir…." Rose mimicked in a funny voice and, to Mac's embarrassment, the others joined her in the ribbing as the doors closed behind them.

Bulk and Skull watched them go, watched as the guards saluted the group of Rangers, then resumed their posts. They waited anxiously, with eyes wide, for the guards to say something to them, but they remained silently at their posts. Slowly, they turned around on tiptoe, then bolted down the hall in the opposite direction.

* * *

Carri wasn't sure what she was doing. It was curiosity more than anything else. She'd been over to visit with her parents and other relatives, just in case she didn't come home from the quest she'd just volunteered for, then found herself turning right instead of left on her way back to the Command Center. She wasn't entirely sure she'd of actually walked down the hall where Jessica was assigned, she was just curious, but when she heard Rocky's voice, her temper got the better of her again and she strode deliberately toward her door. 

Unfortunately, she missed him. By the time she reached the doorway, he'd already stepped beyond the other exit to the hall, leaving her face to face with a young blond woman she'd never met, but completely despised.

"Excuse me." She said curtly, turning to exit the hall the way Rocky had, "Wrong door." She muttered.

"Bullshit." The blond woman said. "I know who you are." She called out, and Carri stopped in her tracks. Even in the early hours of the morning, before dawn, people were mulling around the halls. Everyone was tense, worried, concerned with what was happening. A radio playing twenty-four hour news was blaring updates on the evacuations that were underway outside the NASADA complex and people had gathered to listen and to talk. They looked up curiously and regarded the confrontation between Carri, in her volunteer Ranger uniform, and the other woman who was obviously trying to stir something up.

"Well then," Carri said coldly, turning around, chin held up defiantly. "You'll know I definitely had the wrong room." She muttered between clenched teeth, and once again turned to walk away.

"You must really be running scared." The other woman goaded, assuming a casual, almost careless pose against the doorframe and crossing her arms under her chest as Carri turned around again.

The chest was what caught Carri's eyes. It was artificially massive and the t-shirt the woman had chosen barely covered it. She was pretty enough, Carri decided to herself, but hardly the cover-girl model she'd envisioned. Then again, Carri thought to herself ungraciously, given the enormous size of her tits, just what kind of model she'd been was seriously in question.

"Leave it be Jessica." Another woman said, following the first into the doorway. This one was a little older, her hair a solid brown color, and, in Carri's opinion, the better looking of the two.

"How does it feel?" Jessica asked snidely. "To have to come looking for him and find him here?"

Carri's fists clenched by her sides and she had to forcefully clamp her jaw shut, but her temper stayed in check. It helped that she was exhausted. Her temper always waned a bit when she was overly tired. Had Jessica come at her an hour or two ago, she might have exploded, but she was now past that threshold and held back, simply glaring at her dangerously. "Trust me." She managed to get out evenly. "I'm the one woman in this bunker you don't want to cross."

"He spent the better part of an hour here…just holding the baby." Jessica continued in a sticky sweet tone, ignoring Carri's warning. "He's such a good daddy."

"Jessica stop it." The brown haired woman warned. "This isn't the time."

"The little rugrat looks just like him." Jessica continued, ignoring the woman and facing Carri head on, eyes locked with hers. "Tell me, just how long do you think you can hold on to him now that he's got a family with me?"

Carri held her chin high and her shoulders straight as she approached her. She had a good retort on her lips about how Jessica probably thought the baby looked just like the other guy too, but she held the comment back; she needed something that would cut the bitch just a little deeper. She was shorter than Jessica, but only by an inch or so. Height didn't necessarily matter; there was no woman more intimidating than Carri when she had her gander up. "You're trash." She said in a remarkably calm and quiet tone considering she was actually shaking with anger. Her dark brown smoldering eyes locked an iron hold on the blue ones of her adversary. "What? You think I'm just gonna roll over and bow down to you because you bred yourself like a bitch in heat?" She spat.

"I have his son." Jessica fired back, matching her glare head on.

"No." Carri corrected, physically willing herself to stop shaking with rage. "You have his accident. He used you like a disposable wipe to sooth an itch Marie couldn't satisfy and then tossed you away like yesterday's garbage."

"And yet…" Jessica cooed with equal venom, "He just left my room…and not yours."

"Fortunately for you, he takes care of his mistakes," Carri spat back waspishly. "But you're deluded if you think that stretched out belly of yours could ever turn his head away from me." She said icily. She met the other woman's glare with as much malice as she could, counting to five, then turned her back on her and walked away.

She was just about to congratulate herself on the monumental feat of not physically strangling the bitch when she heard Jessica scream with rage and spring toward her. Someone in the now crowed hall yelled for her to watch out, but Carri wasn't caught off guard. She heard Jessica's yell and her steps racing up behind her; ducking evasively as the woman charged.

Jessica was no light weight. Somewhere in the back of her mind Carri remembered Rocky had said she was a good karate teacher and had been a good student. Face to face in the narrow hall, she was definitely a lot faster than Carri would have given her credit for. As Carri ducked and spun around, the other woman spun as well, kicking high and precise enough to score a direct blow to the right side of Carri's face. Carri fell back and shook her head, more stunned that she'd actually been hit by Combat Barbie than hurt.

Vaguely, she saw that two of the women now milling around in the hall wore Ranger uniforms like hers and were rushing to her aide, but Jessica's kick to the side of her head was all it took; Carri's temper exploded. Jessica never saw it coming. As two uniformed Rangers Carri didn't recognize moved in to keep the blond woman from attacking another Ranger, she put every ounce of strength she had into one single punch; directly into Jessica's nose.

Jessica fell back helplessly into the two female Rangers behind her; completely unconscious, blood gushing everywhere. Carri, still crouching and ready for any counter attack, slowly stood back up, shook her wrist once, then turned her back on Jessica's unconscious form; slowly walking away through the applauding crowd and leaving the two stunned Rangers to carry her to the infirmary.

* * *

Trini stared at the three dimensional image of her unborn daughter on the screen, willing her to stay alive and inside her. She was terrified. She didn't know what she'd done wrong. Two days ago the baby had been healthy and she'd been blissfully happy, now the world had gone to hell and she was laying strapped to a medical bed, losing the one precious gift she'd thought she'd never have. 

"You need to sleep." Billy soothed, stroking stray hairs from her face. He watched the monitor as closely as she did, trying his best to keep the rueful look off his face. The computer had done all it could, they simply had to wait and see if the fix would be enough.

"No." She said firmly, almost angrily, eyes still plastered to the screen.

"Trini…" He soothed. "The best thing you can do for her is to rest."

"I'm scared." She said in a soft voice, as if to admit it would make the unthinkable happen. She turned frightened eyes back to meet his, "What if I wake up and she's gone?" She sobbed, tears pouring down her cheeks.

Billy leaned down and cradled her head, gently kissing the top and struggling against his own tears. There was nothing wrong with the fetus, it was healthy, but the placenta had begun to tear away, causing massive bleeding, and the computer seemed incapable of repairing it; one tear would be fixed and another would start. The contractions were being held at bay for now, but even Manx was at a loss. He was as devastated as she was and also tremendously torn between staying with his wife and fulfilling his duty to the Rangers. For now, he stayed by her side, had promised to stay until the contractions and bleeding stopped, but he knew he'd have to leave her soon and finish his assignments.

"There's nothing more you can do darling." He whispered into her hair. "What will be will be. In the meantime, you need to rest."

She nodded slowly against his shoulder, but when he pulled back, she turned her head and stubbornly resumed her watch. Sighing heavily, he sat back down and clasped her hand, giving Emily a rueful look and nodding silently to Manx that he agreed she should be sedated.

* * *

"This is it!" Bulk squealed in triumph as the duo passed through the doors to Billy's lab. It was deserted now, the various teams assigned there having moved on to other tasks or simply gone to rest or eat in the early hours of the morning. 

"I dunno Bulk." Skull said, turning around and taking in all the odd experiments, half assembled zord models, and blinking computer panels. "Doesn't look like a power chamber…just a laboratory of some kind."

"Would a laboratory have these?" Bulk asked. He held up a golden power coin with one hand, pointed at it with the other, and raised his eyebrows up and down several times.

"Chocolate?" Skull asked.

"No you idiot!" Bulk snapped. "They're power coins, like the ones the Rangers used to wear in their belts. Remember those?"

"No." Skull said flatly, chewing his gum. "No, I really don't. You sure?" He asked, walking forward and grabbing a coin for himself, bringing it up to his face and examining it closely.

"Remember when we were…" He paused and looked around behind him to see if anyone could overhear. "Monkeys?" He whispered.

"Yeah." Skull said in a normal voice, causing Bulk to shush him. "They used keys." He said in a softer voice.

"Yeah, but they talked about how the other Rangers used coins…" Bulk said definitively. "Coins like these…I saw one once."

"Yeah sure…" Skull answered unbelievingly, dropping the coin in his hand with an unimpressed thwack back in the box where he'd found it.

"Look at the boxes…" Bulk said definitively. "See? They're sorting them by color. Red, yellow, and green."

"Yeah well…" Skull disputed. "There are more Ranger colors than three."

"They're probably in other boxes somewhere." Bulk argued, face flushing as his temper began to boil a little. He searched along the countertop until he found an old morpher and slid the coin he was holding into its socket. "You see?" He asked, holding the morpher up triumphantly.

"Hey, let me try." Skull said, moving over to him.

"Grab a coin from the red box." Bulk instructed, picking up a second empty morpher and meeting his friend half way back down the countertop.

"Why?" Skull asked.

"Because you moron…red…red Ranger!" He fumed as if tired of explaining things."You want to end up wearing a yellow skirt?"

"Yeah, I really don't look to good in yellow." He agreed.

"Just… get a coin…" Bulk fumed.

"Oh yeah…right." Skull answered, grinning and nodding his head up and down. He sorted through the various coins, taking his time and examining the embossed pictures of each animal until Bulk reached around in frustration and grabbed one for him, handing him the morpher expectantly. He slid the coin in place, then stared at the device blankly. "Now what?" He asked, regarding the still quiet morpher from all angles.

"Now," Bulk said, a huge grin on his face. "It's morphin time!"

"Yeah…" Skull said enthusiastically, "It's morphin time!"

Within seconds, a huge light exploded in the lab, causing alarms to blare and the defensive shields to lower in place, and when the light faded, it revealed an ecstatic Bulk and Skull…completely morphed.

* * *

As Cassie felt the last of the transporter energy melt away from her, she looked around the small infirmary and regained her bearings. The crates containing the medical beds had all appeared, lined up in an organized row. Her rescuer still had a protective arm around her, but he let her loose as soon as the others transported in a few seconds later. 

"Oh my God Cassie." Kat sighed as both her friends raced forward to hug her. "I haven't been that scared in a really, really, long time."

"I'm fine." Cassie reassured them, "Just a little shaken and definitely well chastised." She said sheepishly. At her friend's confused looks, she added, "My rescuer here pointed out that I could've used a transporter clip to safely break my fall and transport back here in one piece instead of panicking like a ninny and almost killing myself."

"As long as we're here." Cassie's rescuer said gruffly, ignoring their curious looks and turning away from them, "We might as well help you set these things up." He jerked his head toward Chris, indicating he should help open the crates and walked away from them. The younger man hesitated a second, then shrugged and set to work.

"Wait…" Cassie said, pulling his sleeve as he tried to pass. "I didn't thank you. At least…I don't think I did." She smiled awkwardly. "I'm Cassie." She added, holding out her hand. The man stared at her hand for a moment then folded his hand over hers.

"You're welcome." He said simply, turning and pulling a utility tool off his belt that would open the storage containers.

"What's your name?" Cassie asked after him, following him to the furthest box. "On Earth its customary to exchange names." She clarified.

"I understand Earth's customs." He answered quietly, but when she continued to stare at him expectantly he added. "My name is unpronounceable in your language."

"Try me." She replied, crossing her arms in front of her challengingly.

"Malekísértetkelzorn." He said plainly, catching her eyes with a look that plainly said he told her so, then bent down in a squatting position to release the lower seals on the box. She mouthed the syllables back to him, trying vainly to get her lips to pronounce the name. "Chris calls me Malek." He offered as she continued to butcher the full name.

"Thank you, Malek… for coming to my rescue." She said earnestly.

"You're welcome." He said awkwardly, but in a little softer tone, glancing back up at her as if he was amused. He looked away from her then as if embarrassed and stood up; opening the crate, moving the panels aside, and setting to work on activating the table.

"So…where are you guys from?" She asked, still standing next to him as he worked.

"I'm from Earth." Chris volunteered from three tables down. "Alabama…"

"And my guess is that you're not from around here." Cassie added, trying to catch the other man's glance again, but he didn't look back at her, just resumed his crouch and opened a side panel on the side of the table. "Where are you from?" She asked bluntly. He raised his head up and regarded her frankly for several long seconds, blue-grey eyes obviously mulling over whether he should answer or not.

She figured she was being rude, but she was curious, and almost everyone from Earth was considered rude in Intergalactic circles anyway; so at worst she was being stereotypic. The more she was around him though, the more she had the distinct feeling she knew him. Perhaps they had met on one of her travels with the Astro team, she just couldn't place it; but the feeling niggled at the back of her mind, insisting it was important, and she wanted to pin it down. Several tables over, Chris had stopped his work and watched his friend curiously, as if wondering just how he would deal with the inquisitive female pestering him.

"Don't you have a husband or boyfriend that might be wondering where you are?" He asked testily, keeping his focus on a power cell inside the table that stubbornly refused to activate. "Someone who might not be pleased with you peppering an old man with personal questions?"

"No." Cassie answered with a frown, caught off guard. "No one."

"Why not?" Malek asked, sitting back on his heels and regarding her frankly. "You're a pretty little thing, why haven't you gotten married and had quarter of a dozen babies like your contemporaries?"

"I…" Cassie stammered, frowning and caught off guard by the directness of the questions.

"No one tall dark and mysterious enough to sweep you off those careless feet of yours?" He asked again bluntly, grey-blue eyes sharp and almost accusatory.

"He died." She whispered, giving him a horrified look. Her eyes blurred and shifted to the blank wall beyond him; seemingly focused on something very distant, beyond the boundaries of the small infirmary.

Immediately, Malek's gruff attitude melted away and he seemed to regret pressing the issue. "I'm sorry," He muttered awkwardly, focusing his attention on the stubborn old bed that refused to function. "I'm originally from Eltar." He said at last, almost begrudgingly, as if he was reticent to admit it. "But I've called a planet named Trolipi Seven my home for more years than I can remember.

"Never heard of it." Cassie said, swallowing the lump in her throat and making and attempt at pleasantness. He raised his head, giving her a measuring look.

"There's nothing there but desert." He admitted. "It was destroyed a very long time ago by the forces of evil."

"I'm sorry." She responded softly, and she honestly was. There were many planets that had been destroyed by Dark Specter and his minions when she'd been a active Ranger; billions who were still homeless and looking for a place to go; that was why the Rangers were trying so hard to secure the colony on KO-35.

"It was long before you were born." He muttered, shrugging as if it made no difference to him.

"You can't be that old." She countered and he gave her a slightly rueful smile.

"I'm an old man." He said regretfully, returning his attention to the table. "Even for an Eltaran."

Cassie cocked her head to one side and thought about that. Eltarans were the longest living race of humanoids there were. Of course, most of their longevity came from the fact that they tended to discard their mortal bodies once they became too old and frail and continue their existence by transferring their spirits into artificial power tubes. The result was that they were well respected for their knowledge and wisdom, but very few in the galaxy actually understood them. Yet, if she remembered correctly, they could live several hundred years in their mortal frame before completing that transfer. She wondered how many centuries he'd seen. His face was lined with old traces of worry and laughter, but not so heavily that it aged him terribly. The skin on his face and hands was still smooth and the slight frosting at his temples didn't yet carry over into the thick black waves of his hair.

"So you guys are out there all alone?" She asked, for nothing better to say.

He stopped his work again and stood up, facing her directly with a look that said he was done with the conversation. She was pissing him off, she could tell by the hard edge in his eyes, but she couldn't stop herself. She wanted to know.

"We're not there enough to care one way or another." He said, almost bitterly. He turned and keyed a series of codes onto the table's main consol and it whirred to life. "We travel a lot." He added, moving past her to the next bed, opening the crate, and moving the heavy pieces of packing off to one side with the others.

"Like a voyager." She said and immediately jumped back as he whirled on her. He met her eyes angrily, jaw set, and looked as if he'd reprimand her, then his eyes softened and he backed away, shaking his head and chuckling to himself. "If you know what a voyager is…" He said, setting to work on the next table, "Then you know not to ask so many questions."

* * *

"Oh…my…God." Kim said slowly as Jason and the other Rangers who had come rushing into the lab gathered around her. She hadn't actually seen it happen. If she hadn't dawdled in the hallway turned dormitory to check in on Jason, she would have been there, but as it was, she'd walked in just in time to see the morphing light and the alarms trigger. 

Before her were two men, completely morphed, in pink uniforms. Well, one was pink, the other was kind of a salmon color with a white stripe mottled down the front and a silver one down the back. The one in bright pink had a grotesquely comical helmet in the shape of a flamingo's head while the salmon colored one had a silver colored fish helmet, complete with large black "eyes" on either side.

"Who are you and what the hell do you think you're doing?" Jason roared. Even without his Muirantian power, Jason could be formidable, but with eyes blazing red and angry red energy crackling from his hands, he was downright terrifying.

"Uhhhh…we don't know?" Skull asked uncertainly from behind the flamingo head, sliding behind Bulk and giggling nervously.

"Skull?" Kim asked, recognizing the giggle, her face contorted in absolute horror.

"Holy shit…" Jason hissed, energy draining away from his hands. "It's him alright." He confirmed, his Muirantian vision authenticating the heat signatures under the uniforms. "Jesus Christ…" He swore. "The other one's Bulk, the morph must have toned him up."

"Oh my god…" Kim whispered, stunned, hands coming up to cover her mouth. Sure enough, Bulk's massive frame had been transformed into a lithe and muscular form, ready for battle. Skull had also suddenly, despite the bright pink spandex, become far more muscular. Neither had the trademark pink skirt, but Skull's uniform looked like he had a long, bright pink doublet tucking in and then flaring out from his waist. The whole thing was absolutely, positively…horrendous. "How?" She asked incredulously. "How did that happen?"

"They're your fucking coins." Jason growled, turning to her. "You tell me."

"Justin had a similar kind of metamorphosis." Adam commented, shooing away the other Rangers and spinning his chair around to reset the security system, silencing the alarms. "He grew when he was morphed. Zordon explained that the grid decided he needed to be a little more mature to effectively handle himself in battle and operate the equipment…so it altered him accordingly."

"Will they stay that way?" Kim asked, wide eyed, hardly able to fathom what had just happened. This wasn't the time for kinks. She had to meet Tommy on the hill in less than half an hour, Teeg was preparing to attack, there was just too much happening for something like this to go wrong.

"Justin would turn back into a kid the minute his helmet was removed." Adam shrugged from his wheelchair. Tonya found her way over to him and the two exchanged significant looks; neither knowing what to do next.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Billy roared, just as menacingly as Jason had as he emerged from the transport gateway from the Command Center, stopping just off to the side of Kim and staring at the two men in pink.

"Bulk and Skull." Kim answered numbly, still grappling with what had just happened.

"How'd they get past security?" Jason demanded as the last of the onlookers who had raced in to help slowly filed back into the makeshift dormitory now that the emergency was apparently over.

"I have most of the security devices turned off." Billy answered, closing his eyes shaking his head ruefully. "There are so many people coming in and out…and it was constantly triggering the alarms. It was just easier to seal off the most secret stuff and allow everyone access."

"So what do we do now?" Jason growled.

"Get them de-morphed?" Tonya suggested.

"No!" Billy and Kim cried out together, causing the others, including Bulk and Skull to snap their heads toward them.

"We don't know which coins they used. Some of them were prototypes." Kim explained, an almost frightened look on her face. "I'm a novice, I made them for practice. They could have terrible side effects. We have to find out which box they took them out of and counter act any changes the grid might have made to their physiology to get them safely morphed. Remember, it's an _old_ grid. We're not sure how it will interpret the coin signatures"

"The uh…the uh…red one." Bulk answered awkwardly, pointing a hesitant finger toward the box in question. Billy made a moaning sound and dropped his face in both hands.

"That was the box of discards…red…don't use under any circumstances." He groaned, turning an equally frustrated and helpless look to the others. "The morphing signatures in those coins were too unstable to consider."

"What kind of side effects are we talking about?" Adam asked with a worried look on his face, the incision from his back surgery suddenly hurting a lot worse than it had five minutes ago.

"I don't know…" Kim answered, an almost panicked look on her face. "…but look at them… they're… they're…. _pink_. A pink coin won't morph a male. They're not made the way other coins are. They require estrogen, lots and lots of estrogen."

"Then let's hope that theory you're so proud of is right and pink is just another shade of red." Jason growled drolly.

* * *

"Oh no…" Cassie whined. "Oh crap…." 

"What?" Kat asked, walking over and glancing at the small television screen Cassie had just installed on the infirmary wall. The news was playing, showing all the disastrous events occurring in and around Angle Grove.

"Wait…see if they'll come back to it." Cassie said, backing up a little. "There…" She said, pointing to the screen which showed a burning inferno in bright contrast to the dark, pre-dawn sky across Angle Grove Lake. The flames reflected and illuminated in the water, creating a spectacular picture as the strip of stores and pier went up in flames. "My shop." She said miserably, shoulders slumping.

"Are you sure?" Ashley asked, coming alongside. Malek and Chris also raised their heads over the medical beds, regarding her curiously.

"I saw the sign burn and fall to the ground." Cassie said in a defeated tone, walking dejectedly behind the small counter and dropping into the chair behind it, suddenly feeling the total weight of the stress she was under. "It's toast…literally."

"You have insurance don't you?" Kat asked hopefully.

"Oh yeah, my cousin and I are fully covered…but…with the scale of the damage…we're not gonna get paid anytime soon, if ever." She said dejectedly. The little souvenir store had been her haven, the only little place that was truly hers. She was already heavily in debt, losing the little store was disastrous beyond words. "You remember what happened the last time Angel Grove was destroyed, there are still people who haven't been paid by insurance…and that was almost eight years ago." She said miserably, wiping the tears springing from her tired eyes.

"It'll be ok Cas." Ashley said gently, coming around the counter to throw an arm around her friend. She, of all people, knew how close to the edge her friend was. "There's still the Alpha trust…Andros knows the Rangers who run it…it'll be fine, I promise."

"The Alpha trust is for college loans." Cassie moaned.

"No it's not," Ashley corrected. "It's for any former Ranger who needs help getting back on their feet. It helped us tremendously when we lost our house a few weeks ago. Whether that's here on Earth or wherever we end up migrating, you'll be taken care of… It'll be fine."

"Oh my god…what am I gonna do?" Cassie asked helplessly, tears now pouring down her cheeks. "I'm totally bankrupt…"

"You're…short of funds?" Malek asked, concern obvious in his voice as he approached the opposite side of the small countertop.

"I've always been short of funds." Cassie admitted miserably. "This is just…devastating. I dunno what I'm gonna do."

"But…" Malek continued, obviously confused. "You own a store?" He asked.

"Everyone has to do something." She replied back dejectedly. "Why? What did you think I did?"

"I…I don't know." He hesitated, caught off guard. "Perhaps…you just seem the type of person who might be …possibly…musically inclined." He offered, and Cassie chuckled miserably, more tears flowing.

"No…" She said sadly. "Just the proprietor of one cremated tacky souvenir kiosk on Angel Grove Lake."

"Your…your family…you have no funds at all?" He asked incredulously.

"My family kicked me out when I was fifteen; when my dad skipped town and my mom went back east." Cassie told him bitterly. "That's when I hopped on a bus and came to live with my uncle here in Angel Grove. My cousin tried to help me out with the store but…" She shook her head. "It barely grossed enough to pay my food and rent."

"But…you have no funds at all?" He asked again, baffled and obviously becoming upset himself.

"The Rangers of Earth will take care of her." Ashley interjected defensively. "She'll be fine. We take care of our own."

"But…there's nothing? No…inheritance…perhaps?" He asked and earned a sharp, disapproving look over Cassie's head from both Kat and Ashley.

"Who would I inherit from?" Cassie moaned miserably, sniffing loudly and wiping her eyes on her uniform sleeve. "Some rich uncle I've never heard of? I'm on my own. I've been on my own for ten years. It's just me."

"She'll be fine." Ashley repeated, giving Malek a stern look that clearly meant he should leave her alone and not continue to question her.

He was obviously not happy with leaving the topic be, but turned to finish his work. As he moved away from the counter, he nearly ran into a thinly built man with wire frame glasses. He made a rough apology and continued on and the man, startled, looked after him as if not entirely satisfied by the half mumbled words.

"Chris!" Kat squealed and rushed around the counter to embrace him. "What are you doing down here?"

"Looking for you." He replied, obviously upset with her as he looked her uniform up and down. "Did you even come back to the room at all last night?" He asked accusingly.

"No…" She said in an apologetic tone. "I worked right through, but I'm due to be relieved any moment now."

This was obviously not the answer the newcomer wanted to hear and Malek glanced curiously at Cassie and Ashley, who were doing their best to appear as if they were oblivious to Kat's partner. Malek surveyed the interaction of the couple for a few more seconds, then caught Cassie's malevolent look, which was returned by an eye roll from Ashley; quickly determining that this was someone that neither girl approved much of.

"Kat…look…" Chris said, obviously angry and frustrated. "I know you want to make peace with your cousin and make the families happy while they're here, but rolling over and letting her force you into something that takes you away from the people you care about most, especially when they need you…you need to stand your ground against her and be a little less go-along-get-along. Ya know? You're a mature adult and you need to stand up for yourself and act like one, not let her steam roll you into doing a job that has nothing to do with your profession and isn't going to advance your career. Let the professionals handle things, you need to be with your family right now."

"Carri didn't force me into this Chris, I volunteered." She said firmly. She was tired and hungry, now was not the time to discuss either her cousin or her commitment to the Rangers…and Chris was the last person in the universe to talk about being a mature adult, she thought bitterly.

"Yeah…well, your cousin's been to see her parents twice since they got here and I slept alone all night in a cold bed." He retorted angrily.

"Can we, maybe, discuss this later?" She asked, voice taking on a hard edge.

"When?" He responded testily. "I mean…you didn't come home at all last night, I have no idea when you plan to come home, and then I walk in and find you were here with two guys?"

"They're volunteers, just like me, working to make this whole situation better for everyone…and I've been with Cassie and Ashley all night…ask them!" She shot back, voice rising in volume with each word.

"Why don't you go ahead and take off Kat." Ashley offered softly, realizing something was building that really shouldn't be played out in public. "We more than have it covered here until the next shift starts."

Kat turned to regard her friend, arms folded across her chest and foot tapping rapidly against the tile floor in a remarkable imitation of her cousin. She shot Ashley a hot look that clearly said she didn't like being dismissed, then turned the full force of it on her fiancé. She had supported him for practically five years. He had absolutely no right to dictate what she should do or who she should do it with.

"Fine." She said icily, still glaring at Chris. "I'll see you on my next shift." She muttered over her shoulder, stomping past her finance, who shot Malek and the other Chris an equally icy look, then turned to follow her.

Malek gave Ashley an amused questioning look, but she didn't have time to respond. As the pair left, Rose and Ronny from the Overdrive team quickly carried an unconscious Jessica into the room, followed by her sister, Stephanie, carrying a screaming infant.

"What happened?" Ashley gasped, swiftly making her way around the counter, followed by Cassie.

"Put her here." Malek directed, indicating the closest med-bed that was fully up and running.

"She was brutally attacked." Stephanie said bluntly, trying in vain to stop the infant from screaming, but it was tired and hungry and very angry to have been woken up.

"Oh no..." Ronny said, rearing up and facing the brown haired woman with just a hint of temper. "I was there, so was Rose, and so were a whole lot of other people."

"Your sister jumped a uniformed volunteer." Rose added definitively, nodding her head and crossing her arms across her chest as if daring the other woman to deny it. "One that was walking away from the fight. After she finishes here, we're taking her directly to the detention cell being set up in her honor."

"Let's just concentrate on putting her back together." Malek said evenly, indicating with a nod of his head that Cassie should separate the hurt woman's companion from the two female Rangers who had assisted her. Ashley moved forward as well and relieved Stephanie of the baby, bouncing him and cooing as Malek turned and did a quick scan of Jessica's injuries.

"Her whole front of her face is completely smashed in." Stephanie argued, coming to stand by the bedside. "The other woman barely has a scratch. I don't know how they can say…"

"Ah…" Malek said, turning to her with a gleam in his eye. "It's not nearly as terrible as it looks." He assured gently.

"Are you a doctor?" She asked, looking dubiously around the small infirmary that was only half assembled and stilled littered with packing materials.

"I'm a qualified field medic." Malek responded. "Trust me, I've put Power Rangers back together who looked worse than this." He answered, reaching out and indicating that she should sit in a chair that Chris was bringing over. "She's your relative?" He asked as she sat, and she nodded.

"I'm her sister." She said, still curious as to what the man was doing. "Shouldn't we have a real doctor look at her?"

"The computer's the doctor." Malek said dismissively. "Now…" He said very patiently, as if speaking to a small child. "We'll start with copying your nose and if she doesn't like it, we'll make her another one later." He said, taking out a mask like object and laying over Stephanie's nose and mouth.

Ignored for the time-being, Ronny and Rose moved back, then turned and followed the other two girls back to the other side of the counter.

"I'm glad he knows what he's doing." Rose said with relief. She supposed she could figure out the medical computer quick enough, but she was glad she didn't have to do it during an actual emergency.

"Yeah…me too." Ashley answered, giving her a significant look.

"We're your relief shift by the way." Ronny added. "We're a little early, but you guys can go get some sleep if you want." She suggested.

"Gratefully." Cassie sighed in exaggerated relief, bowing and waving her hands up and down in mock worship. "We'll be back in eight hours." She said with a tired grin as she followed Ashley out the door.

Malek turned his attention away from Stephanie and Jessica as Cassie turned to leave, obviously frustrated to be occupied as she exited. If he had planned to say something, he resisted, and simply watched her go with a slightly disappointed look. She turned back briefly and caught his gaze, waved once, and then left the little room, stepping out into the small family common area.

"He likes you." Ashley observed as they walked, and Cassie turned to give her friend a baffled look.

"What do you mean?" She asked, frowning.

"He likes you…a lot." Ashley said with a wicked grin. "And I think you like him too." She added playfully, eyes twinkling. "Otherwise you wouldn't have flirted with him so much."

"I didn't flirt." Cassie countered defensively.

"What's your name?" Ashley pantomimed comically, "Where do you come from?" She batted her eyes in a silly gesture, index finger poking at her cheek in a falsely innocent gesture, and Cassie slapped her playfully. "My god, you wouldn't leave the poor man alone…"

"He's a lot older than I am." Cassie noted, for lack of anything better to say.

"He's not that much older…Eltarans are long lived….Andros is a good two and a half decades older than me, but we're the same age developmentally…he's probably got more than a century left, and that's more than you….and he's gorgeous, you have to admit..." She countered teasingly.

Cassie shrugged, smiling wistfully, not ready to admit anything yet. She had yet to meet a Ranger that wasn't well built. If they weren't when they started, they usually ended up that way pretty quickly. She sighed heavily and stretched. It had been a roller coaster day for emotions and the next few days didn't seem to promise to get any better. She'd reserve judgment until after the final battle was over and the people of her world were safe; if he was still around. Her experience with voyagers was that they tended to just disappear into thin air like they never existed.

"We'll see." She answered non-committaly, stopping at the door to her assigned space.

"Get some sleep." Ashley advised gently as she continued on to the portal that would take her back to the rooms behind the Command Center. "Everything will be better in the morning."

"I wish I could believe that." Cassie said softly, and slipped into her room; closing the door behind her.

* * *

A wind gust nearly knocked Kim over as she transported to the hill beside the foundation of the old house. It was blisteringly hot and the gale thundered around her; wind tearing at everything in its path. There was nothing recognizable about the hillside of her grandfather's ranch, which was now littered with debris. She couldn't see the house; only knew it still stood from the reading on the scanner in the Command Center. The smoke was thick, like a dense fog, and pieces of ash swirled around her eerily. The main house hadn't burned, but the fires were still close by and she wrinkled her nose at the smell. 

He was already there. She couldn't see him, but she knew it was him. She was just a tad early, which meant he'd purposely come earlier in anticipation of her arrival. Something in the back of her mind smirked at that. Tommy was never on time; even as an evil green. He must have truly been anxious if he'd been able to manage to get there first.

Like a ghost, his outline emerged from the whirling smoke, closing the distance between them, then coming to a stop in front of her. He wasn't morphed, but dressed in the plain black uniform Teeg had given him. It was an imposing sight; his figure ram-rod straight against the grey smoke, his eyes cold and hard. Kim didn't say anything, didn't nod, didn't acknowledge his presence in any way, just simply turned her back on him and walked away…and like a sentinel knight, he silently followed.

She walked slowly until she reached the edge of the old foundation. The safety fence and yellow caution tape had been blown away with the wind, leaving the large concrete pit exposed. She stopped briefly at the edge of it, then took a step over the side, still not looking behind her at the evil green following cautiously.

Instead of dropping or falling, as he expected, she surprised him by gently gliding down to the floor of the old cellar. Only then did she turn and wait expectantly. He hesitated less than a minute, then jumped down, landing easily and turning to face her again. Immediately, the howling of the wind decreased it's volume as only the lightest of breezes reached their way to the deep basement floor.

"I refuse to shout over that gale." She said simply, but he remained silent, staring at her. This was not Jason's idea of a good situation. She was basically trapped in a small confined space with him. The odds were definitely in his favor, but it was where she needed him; close to the old grid where she knew her powers were stronger. Silently, she stilled the uneasiness in her gut. If this didn't work, she could easily kill him… and killing him would spell her death as well; she'd never be able to live with herself.

"You have yet to supply your promised answers." He growled, giving her a warning look. He was uneasy with her bringing him into the pit, but the advantage was still his. He was the stronger morphed Ranger and he was all but certain he was the better tactician. Teeg had warned him that the tiny woman before him had all the powers of her doppelganger Kemora, but he had yet to encounter anything that he'd consider a threat from her. Still, she appeared unconcerned with his presence and that in itself was reason to be cautious.

"You have yet to ask me any questions." She countered easily.

"I don't have time for games." He replied, giving her a warning look.

"Neither do I." She answered curtly. "Ask me your questions."

Tommy paused and glared at her warily, moving as stealthily as a panther stalks its prey. She allowed him to get a little closer, but not too much, and matched his moves so that they began a slow circling of each other. Kim couldn't take chances, had promised both Jason and Carri that she wouldn't take chances. She needed him closer, but she needed to be the one in control, not him. At the moment he was wary and still very, very angry. She needed to switch his mood, give him a sense of comfort with her that he didn't have at the moment. All the while, she was very aware that time was quickly running out.

"Who am I?" He growled, coming to a stop by the remains of the old furnace.

"Dr. Thomas Oliver." She answered.

"That much I know." He sneered. "What am I?"

"Zordon's heir to the Power Rangers." She said flatly, as if the title meant nothing. "At least, the human Rangers."

"And you are?"

"Your wife." She said, voice cracking just a little despite her best efforts to keep it calm and under control. It was a small slip, but he caught it and she could see the curiosity flash briefly across his eyes. "Teeg and Kemora consider it the ultimate joke to send my beloved husband to kill me." She said bitterly, the pain still obvious in her voice. "Does it anger you to know you're a joke?" She asked resentfully, cocking her head to one side and gauging his reaction. Time was running out. **B**y the cold hatred coursing from his eyes, she knew she had his attention, but she had yet to secure his interest.

"It's hot down here." She said, as if to herself. She turned her back on him again, seemingly uninterested in the conversation, and very slowly removed her jacket, revealing the short baby pink halter top underneath. She very rarely wore tank tops anymore. She was at an age where she wanted the attention focused on her mental attributes, not the physical ones, but this particular top was one that Tommy had found while they were unpacking her things and it was more than appropriate for what she had in mind tonight.

It scooped low across her back, which faced him, and as she let her jacket slowly slide downward, it gave the distinct impression, until the very last second, that she had nothing on underneath. Part of her was very aware that Jason and the others were watching her closely on the scanner, ready to rescue her if things turned bad, and she had to physically squelch the twinge of embarrassment that coursed up her neck and into her cheeks. This wasn't the first time she'd plaid the sex card for the Rangers. She had a job to do, a job she'd only get one shot at. She had to do it well…and that meant pretending they were alone and no one was watching.

Turning around, she watched his eyes follow the arc of her top, taking in her bare midriff and the tight fabric stretched across a metal ring that revealed more of her breasts than she ever would do publically. The tank was actually an inner layer, there was an outer crocheted poncho that was worn over it, but even so, she'd only had the guts to wear it once; on a publicity tour for _Hidden Adventures_. The outfits for those shows had been ridiculously threadbare, but she'd been young and had actually enjoyed the attention for a while.

The effect wasn't lost on Tommy. She'd spent years studying Thomas's minute reactions to things. She could now discern almost every reaction she encountered with the alternate Tommys; even the evil green in front of her. She could see the desire and lust build in him, watched him struggle with his emotions, then gradually master them as if they didn't exist.

"Seducing me is a waste of time." He answered at last, eyes hard as ice, but he couldn't quite squelch the huskiness of his voice. Kim grinned inwardly. She knew how she looked… and she knew her Tommy.

"I don't need to seduce you." She answered silkily, fingers sliding under the tiny spaghetti straps tied behind her neck, pulling the tight fabric ever so slightly upward, which had the counter effect of exposing more of her midriff. "To seduce you would mean you don't already belong to me…that I don't already belong to you."

Kim watched his eyes narrow and his stance shift. The last thing she wanted was for him to put another wall between them, so she glided forward slowly, cocking her head to the side and trying her best to reclaim a seductive aura that she reserved only for their time alone together. Tommy didn't move as she closed the gap between them. He stood frozen, staring at her cautiously as she moved closer, finally coming to a stop just millimeters from him. She was close enough to feel the heat of his body through the thick black uniform and to know he could feel the heat of her against him as well.

"That's what Teeg fears the most." She whispered, standing on tip toe just close enough for him to feel the moist warmth of her breath against his ear. "She knows that I belong to you, that I'll follow you anywhere, that I and all my powers are yours for the taking…should you remember me…" She turned her head and brought her lips painfully close to his. He didn't move, remained rigid as a stone statue, and she thrilled to see the struggle behind his eyes. "She knows…" She continued, the w in the last word bringing her lips into the lightest of caresses against his skin. "She knows what happened the last time the evil green Ranger was loose on Earth."

Slowly, heart pounding loudly in her chest and ears, Kim lowered herself away from him, eyes never leaving his. When she'd moved from her toes back down to the soles of her feet, she pressed her lips together regretfully and regarded him for a moment, then slowly turned her back to him, walking seductively to the opposite corner, but turning back to him expectantly, as if inviting him to follow.

Tommy was in agony. He knew exactly what the woman was offering him and, though his body responded to her, he forced his mind clear. He hadn't come here to be beguiled; he'd come here for answers. If the woman couldn't supply them, he'd leave. The question was whether he'd leave before or after satisfying the lust boiling within him. He seriously doubted the tiny woman in front of him would survive the reenactment of the thoughts her antics had put in his mind….but then again, she'd apparently been his wife; she might already know. Something in that thought brought the desire bounding front and center to his mind again and he struggled to keep his thoughts cohesive.

"What happened last time?" He asked, desire making the words hoarse. Kim grinned silkily in response, one hand reaching up to put the hair away from her face. He watched, captivated, as her finders tucked the strands behind her ear and slid lazily down her neck.

"You nearly betrayed Rita." She answered. "You thought to kill off the Rangers, subdue me and then…" She paused, eyes trailing him up and down as if caught in her own struggle with desire.

"And then what?" He prodded watching as the other hand slid from her waist down one thigh.

"You said you wanted to win me over to your cause, make me your evil empress… and together we'd destroy Rita and Zedd…ruling the planet together." She finished.

Tommy froze. It was true, he realized. His heart pounded with excitement. He remembered that. She was the one. Her eyes had haunted his dreams, were the first and only thing he'd remembered as the cold mist receded. That was why his memory had been taken, because he'd betrayed Rita…for her. It made sense to him…yet, he had lived in a simple housing structure with her. He hadn't ruled the world at all. Confusion clouded his mind again. Kimberly wasn't evil, she fought the forces of good…yet he had the distinct memory of knowing her from before. Dragonzord trumpeted in the back of his mind and he held on to notes as if they were a life raft in the middle of a stormy ocean. He turned his back to her, hands reaching up and fingers tearing into his scalp.

"You remember." Kim said quietly, moving slowly toward him, but he whirled on her. She didn't move, didn't jump back as he'd expected to, just let the momentum of his turn pull them into one another. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hands reaching up and fingers intertwining with his. "She fears our union." She whispered in his ear, "She knows, good or evil, I love both sides of your nature…I've always loved you both."

Tommy ripped her hands away, but didn't let go, snapping her arms painfully in back of her and slamming her roughly against the concrete wall. "What do you want?" He snarled dangerously. "What is it you're trying to do?"

"Join me." Kim said silkily, ignoring the pain shooting through her hands and arms. "Together, we'll bring order to the universe. Think of it…" She continued in a husky tone. "Think of all the power that could be yours…_think of all that could be yours_." She finished, with a heavily seductive implication.

Tommy pushed away from her and, startled, she had to quickly re-gain her balance without breaking the mood she'd set. His back was turned to her and again his fingers tore through his short hair as if to block out some unwanted noise. Slowly, steadily, he began to turn invisible. "What's happening to me?" he screamed, whirling on her again, eyes fixed with horror on his disappearing limbs.

"Come with me." Kim said calmly, huskily, holding out her hand as her eyes glowed red with Muirantian power. She had him, he had to come willingly. She wouldn't have the power to change him back if he didn't come to her willingly. It was now or never. "Give yourself to me, willingly, and all will be yours again."

Slowly, he reached out his hand to hers, watching in horror as the invisibility crept further and further up his arm. Almost in a panic, he staggered forward, but Kim slowly glided backward, arm still extended but forcing him to walk forward to her. "Give yourself to me willingly." Kim repeated, eyes beginning to glow a brighter red as she led him, staggering down a narrow hall that had recently been dug off the side of the old cellar; directly toward the old grid.

Numbly he followed her, transfixed by the small hand that slipped frightfully out of his grasp each time he thought to reach it. The whole of his arm was now invisible, as was part of his torso. Sheer panic assaulted him. He remember this, remembered losing her, remembered her slipping away from him. Remembered the eyes that floated tauntingly just beyond his grasp, he had to reach her, had to touch her, nothing else mattered except reaching out to touch her.

"Now…" Kim said seductively, her voice hoarse and detached. "Take my hand…join me."

Tommy didn't hesitate, he reached for the hand with all his might, but this time it didn't slip out of his grasp, it circled around his fingers like an iron clamp. He was astounded by the strength in that small hand, the tiny fingers locked around his hand, holding it painfully tight. Panic broke through his thoughts he tried to shake off her grip, but the fingers stayed locked.

"You betrayed me!" He screeched, eyes hardening with accusation.

"No love." She said quietly with all the heartbreaking pain and regret in her soul. "I have to save you." She cried.

Before he could answer, a blinding red light flashed around him. Sheer pain coursed through him as the red light was joined with white. He knew this pain, it was the pain of withdrawal. His coin's energy was being sucked out of him as cruelly as it had been infused. But this time it was different, this time the coin itself was being robbed of its energies. Incredulously, he watched it rise from its holding place on his belt, watched it hover over his head for a few seconds, then dissolve as if it had never been. White and green light burst forth in all directions and he was at last thrown roughly from Kim's grip.

"Traitor!" He screamed as the green energy crackled around him in one last fiery burst, then fell into a silent, crumpled ball at her feet.

"Oh my God." Kim sobbed, collapsing on top of him as the last of his green energy receded. "What have I done?"

* * *

Ashley knew something was wrong the minute she walked into her small living space. It was absolutely quiet in the room and Andros was sitting with his back to her, next to a tiny table, his head in his hands. 

"What is it?" She asked, panic building. As she rounded the small travel crib, she checked on the baby. She would wake soon, but for now was quietly sleeping, oblivious to the world around her. "What's happened?" She asked again anxiously, pulling up a second folding chair and scooting it next to her husband. He lifted his head to her numbly, eyes lined with red, dark blue circles forming underneath. "My love…" She crooned softly in his language, reaching out and cupping her hand around the side of his face. "Tell me…" she said earnestly in Kaoan.

"I just bought an entire planet…" He said numbly, raising incredulous eyes to hers.

"You did it?" She squealed, exhaling her relief in a short bark of laughter that made him cringe. He reached up and shushed her with his hand in case she woke the baby."Andros you're a hero." She squealed softly, "We have a place to go now if Teeg destroys the planet."

"When the dust settles and the time for payment begins…I'm not so sure anyone's going to consider me a hero." He said morbidly, exhaustion pouring through in his words. "I have never debated that furiously, that quickly, that…I don't know Ash…" He rambled, rubbing his eyes with shaking hands. "I did it, we got an incredible deal, it's the whole damn planet, but…by all the gods of Dein and Eir…they still screwed us. Saegwyn's great grandchildren are going to be making the payments."

"I doubt this world will miss the asbestos." She said dryly, hand stroking his short hair and wishing absently that he'd let it grow again. "It's caused a lot of problems for us."

"Not just asbestos." He said, frustration putting a hard edge on his words. "Salt, potassium, quartz, and all kinds of other minerals found on this planet that I didn't think would be missed in large quantities. Then I had to promise them the protection of the Rangers for the next several generations…we also have to apply for official recognition in the Intergalactic Community and if we're denied the whole thing becomes null and void…and we lose our deposit funds…Power help me Ash, I promised them everything I don't have freely to give."

Ashley smiled gently at her husband, knowing what he'd been going through the past few hours. The sad truth that she would never, ever, admit to vocally was that she didn't like her husband's race very much. The Kaoans were conniving prudes; happy for help when they needed it and then ready to stab you in the back when the danger was over. They were an innately suspicious lot, all holier than thou with their pure bloodlines and stuck up refinement; looking down their noses at any other race. Where Zane had come from, she honestly didn't know. He was like free spirited hippie; dancing through life like it was one big joke and throwing wildflower seeds all over their carefully manicured lawns.

Andros had mellowed tremendously since she'd known him. He was a good man, with an incredibly kind heart, but he was also a product of his culture; suspicious of the outside world and overly concerned with propriety. Being married to him hadn't been easy; both felt they'd gotten the short end of marital compromise. Teaching him to satisfy her physically had taken years as the Kaoan concept of sexual intimacy wouldn't gratify an ant. He'd nearly passed out the first time she, out of sheer primal frustration, had taken matters into her own hands and introduced him to an Earth girl's concept of mating. He hadn't been able to look anyone in the eye for days; convinced and mortified everyone knew what he'd participated in.

Slowly, eventually, she trained him to loosen up and he began to enjoy a love life full of intimate cuddles and kisses, but publically, it was still a very different story as he reverted into a suitable man of his culture and breeding. It had taken him months to even openly hold her hand and even now, after years of marriage, he'd drop it and put a respectful distance between them if anyone from the Intergalactic Community was present. She loved him for what he was though and had long since stopped fighting the public wall he put between them. She knew he loved her, knew he'd always gravitate back to the closeness they shared privately. Kaoans rarely married for love and she knew he treasured what they had.

"You'll always be my hero." She said intimately, reverting back into her own language and caressing the side of his head. He closed his eyes and laid his own hand on top of hers, pressing his face into the palm of her hand. "Come on…" She said standing up and pulling him up after her. She leaned into him suggestively and, unfastening his uniform shirt, slid her hands over his bare chest underneath playfully. "Let me show you how proud I am of you."

She loved the feel of him. Clothed, his body was deceptive; it appeared thin, almost stringy. Get his clothing off though and you could see how tightly his muscles were corded and how well cut he actually was. He responded to her at first, leaning down and gently kissing her neck, needing the feel of her after a hard day just as much as she needed his, but then clasped her hands in his to stop her mischievous wandering and backed away from her.

"The baby." He said, shaking his head.

"The baby is asleep and far too young to remember the sight of her parents fooling around if she wakes up." She countered.

"No." He answered, shaking his head. "It isn't right. We should wait until your parents can take her for a few hours."

Ashley gave him a frustrated look that told him she wasn't about to be thwarted that easily, then slowly, defiantly, began to remove her uniform. "You're being a silly prude." She said, continuing to undress until she was standing completely naked in front of him. Normally she wasn't that demanding of him. He had the weirdest concept of who should initiate their love making and how, but there were times when he could be an absolute ninny about the whole thing.

"I, for one…" She said, giving him a seductive look that she knew damn well drove him out of his mind with desire. "…am going to crawl, completely naked, under those sheets and stay that way until my next shift begins." She slid past him, hand suggestively caressing his midriff as she went. "If my husband…" and she emphasized the word husband "…should choose to join me and comfort me in my time of need…"

"Ashley…" He interrupted in a scolding tone. "Don't…it's not proper. The baby's right there." He fussed, pointing to the travel crib.

"Not proper to comfort me when my world is being torn apart?" She asked in an overly innocent tone, eyes comically wide. "Not proper to thank my husband for saving me and my whole world?" She suggested, sliding under the sheets of the bed and lifting the corner up, inviting him to join her.

Andros couldn't take it. He very rarely denied his wife when she was acting the way she was now. It had been a long, hard, arduous day and several days since he'd taken time to enjoy his wife's affection in bed. He removed his uniform top and boots roughly and climbed on the bed, ignoring her suggestion and keeping the covers between them, tightly pinning her underneath sheets.

"You…" He said in a scolding tone, holding her mischievous eyes with a firm lock "…wife … are absolutely incorrigible." He grumbled.

"And you're still my hero." She whispered lovingly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head down to kiss her.

* * *

"Oh God…" Kim sobbed, barely aware of Jason trying to pry her off of Tommy so that Rocky and Billy could lift his limp form up onto the medical bed. They had transported them both just seconds after Tommy's collapse, but Kim was hysterical and wouldn't let anyone near him. "Oh God…" She sobbed over and over. "Please tell me he's not dead." She wailed. Finally aware that someone was pulling her away from her husband, she twisted free and threw herself on top of him again. 

"Billy can't help him if you don't let go." Jason finally yelled loud enough to get through to her. He had one arm in a secure lock around her shoulders, the other arm pinning her hands to keep her from scratching him again with her nails. She stopped struggling then and collapsed, keening and wailing into his arms that she'd killed her husband.

"I can't feel him." She cried, dissolving into massive, heartbreaking sobs. Jason hated crying women, hated it even more when the woman in question was one of his girls. He turned her around in his arms and gave Carri a helpless look, but she, like the others were totally focused on Billy's efforts to revive the still form on the med table.

Billy whirled around the table, barking orders for Rocky to do this or Tanya to do that. The rest, including Adam and a very worried looking Kat Manx, just watched silently while Kim continued to bawl hysterically in his arms.

Something was desperately wrong, but he couldn't see or hear what. He saw the life support arm lowered across Tommy's chest, saw the computer defibrillate his friend not once, but twice, and every once in a while he got a good look at Billy's face…each time wishing he hadn't.

Slowly, Kim's hysterics ebbed and he lessoned his hold on her. She turned silently in his arms to watch what was being done and grabbed Carri's hand anxiously when she stepped back and joined them on the sidelines.

Finally, Billy ordered everyone back from the table and rapidly coded something into the medical computer on not one, but two screens. A force field snapped into place and they watched as white smoke hissed into the enclosed area, engulfing Tommy's body. Billy watched the process intently, relaxing only after Tommy's form was completely obscured and the panel to his side beeped that whatever process he'd initiated was complete. Only then did his shoulders slump a little. He walked to one side, checked the status of something, then sighed and made his way over to where Kim was practically being held up by Jason. She swayed against him at Billy's approach and he tightened his grip reassuringly.

"It's the power withdrawal." Billy said sympathetically. "Last time the coin lost its power, it did it slowly. This time, it happened too fast…and he's older." He admitted.

"Is he going to be ok?" Kim asked miserably, voice breaking.

"I think so." Billy answered, placing a hand on her arm in sympathy. "His body's in shock. His heart was arresting, so I put him in cryo-freeze. The computer will be better able to fix the problems one at a time, minimizing the damage, and then we can slowly try and wake him up."

"I didn't kill him?" Kim asked hopefully, her voice raising a few octaves on the last word and begging for assurance.

"No." Billy said reassuringly, his eyes softening sympathetically, "He'll easily survive this." He added and Jason felt her weight drop heavily in his arms.

"Kimberly?" Carri asked uncertainly, turning around to gape at her friend, but Kim was already unconscious and completely limp in Jason's arms.

"She's just fainted." Billy said absently, scanning her with a portable medical device just to make sure.

"Well..." Jason said sardonically as he shifted Kim's limp form and scooped her up in his arms. "That's one way to get her to go to sleep for a few hours."

* * *

Cassie entered her small cubical with a sigh. It was teeny-tiny, with barely enough room for the single cot. She'd asked to be assigned it, it was too small for a roommate and she wanted the privacy. She reached down and pulled her suitcase out from under the small bed, dropping it with a thud on the mattress. Digging through the clothes and other personal belongings, she found the small box she'd been looking for and closed the case carelessly, scooting back on the bed and leaning her back against the wall. 

She fingered the small metallic box for several minutes, then placed it on top of the suitcase and activated the latch. It opened quickly in several directions, blooming like a flower to reveal the large faceted ruby held within. Cassie stared at the ruby for several minutes, chest constricting and eyes watering. It had been a long time since she last opened the box to look at it, but the pain was no less than the first time she'd held it with trembling hands.

It was dark, lifeless, and cold and no matter how long she stared at it, no matter how hard she wished, it would never glow to life again for her. How could someone you loved that much be gone forever? How did a life force that strong just disappear as if it had never existed? Hand trembling, she activated the message disk within; something she hadn't allowed herself to do in almost eight years.

A small hologram appeared, showing a beloved shape that stared unseeingly back at her. She heard the voice chip activate and stared miserably as the translucent image of a morphed Ranger began to speak.

"_Cassie_," The image addressed her. "_If you have received this recording, I am gone; my life force forfeited for a cause I devoted myself to many, many years ago. Please do not grieve for me, for I have lived a long and full life, culminating in the precious memories of our meeting. It is my wish that you take the ruby in this case back to Eltar and sell it. It is the only thing of monetary value I have to give you. It will make you a wealthy young woman and it is my last wish to know that you are safe and well provided for in your life. I want you to grow up and live out your dreams, find love, marry, and have children; this small token will insure that future for you. All I ask in return is that you remember me sometimes; just as I will take your treasured memory with me wherever it is that I'm going. Take care of yourself Cassie… live a long and wonderful life. It has been my honor to know you and to carry your memory with me in my heart_."

As the image faded Cassie threw her head back, smacking it into the wall behind her. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she stared miserably at the opposite wall. Sell the ruby that had held his life-force? She asked bitterly in her mind. How could she sell something that precious. Nothing would make her part with it; even if it meant denying him his last wish.

She had waited for months after the Zordon Wave for any word from him; any word of him. Each night she'd climb up onto the roof of her uncle's house and stare at the stars above; willing for word to come. He'd promised. He'd promised her he'd come back…yet the only thing that returned to her was the lifeless ruby and a simple recording. He hadn't even declared his love; simply told her not to grieve and that he treasured her memory. It wasn't fair. Her teenage heart had shattered into a thousand pieces and nothing had been able to put it back again.

In time, the pain dulled…or at least glossed over. Her stubborn body had continued living, the sun still cruelly rose each morning, but her soul was dead. It clung helplessly to a young body that refused to waste away and life simply went on. Seeing his ship had brought everything back into sharp focus. It was as if Andros had only just delivered the ruby to her; his face torn with grief and sympathy for her. How long had that ship been in there? She asked herself bitterly. How long had it sat in cold storage with no one to tend it?

He was there, her thoughts rambled on. She'd felt him; felt that little whisper of a presence that gladly raced to greet her even though the owner was long gone. For the briefest of seconds, she'd almost sworn he was alive and coming back to her at last…but that was nonsense. He was gone…and she was alone.

She turned her mind to what Ashley had said on their way out of the infirmary. Had she really flirted with Malek? She hadn't flirted in ages. Ashley was right, she liked him, she realized, even though he wasn't exactly her type. It wasn't that he was so much older. She supposed he would be comparable to a man in his forties, and that was looking younger and younger to her the closer her thirtieth birthday loomed. He was in remarkably good shape, as most male Rangers were. It was that he was so grouchy. His eyes had seen far too much of the universe; he had been there, done that, and now watched the young experience their lives with the frustration of someone who knew better. She liked the young and restless ones that attacked life, liked to live on the edge a little; tall, dark, and mysterious, Malek had teased. Her mind froze around those words. They were the same words she'd teased the Phantom with all those years ago.

She shook her head, half embarrassed by her own thoughts. Yet how had he known? He hadn't, she reprimanded herself, she was simply making comparisons, linking her thoughts together. But he had seemed genuinely surprised that she lived alone and struggled to pay her bills, that she hadn't married, and how had he known she used to love music? She hadn't sung in ages and had given up dreams of being a rock star before she was even out of high school.

She jumped off the bed, fingers snatching the ruby from its case and crushing it against her palm. The Phantom's ship was in the hanger bay. She had felt him, genuinely felt him. And when she'd been in trouble, Malek had known…he'd ignored the possibility of being shot to save her. And he was so familiar…so easy to talk to…almost like being in the company of an old friend.

"Oh my god…" She breathed, hardly daring herself to put the thoughts together. "Oh my god…" she said again. She looked down at her closed fist with the ruby encased within it. He was Eltaran, an adventurer…the Zordon Wave had restored everything it touched…it had made Rita and Zedd human…would it have restored the Phantom too? Released his life-force from the ruby and given him a second chance at life? If that was so, why hadn't he come for her? Why would he leave her behind when he'd promised…sworn…

_I'm an old man_….His words echoed in her mind…._even for an Eltaran_.

Her heart pounded as she raced out of her small cubicle and bounded into the research area. She ignored the startled faces of the techs inside and found herself an empty computer console. Rapidly, she typed in how she thought Malek's full name would be spelled; no matches. She tried again several more times with no better result, then pounded her fist on the table with frustration, wishing she'd paid more attention to Dimetria's vain effort to teach her the Eltaran language..

Finally, she asked the computer to search another way. This time it came back with an option, asking her if she meant to spell the name using Eltaran letters she barely recognized. She typed yes and the computer blinked, giving her the information she was looking for. She stared at the computer screen for countless heartbeats, then burst into a sob that was also half hysterical laughter.

It read: _Ballad of__Malekísértetkelzorn: An ancient Eltaran morality play, dating back more than ten thousand years, in which the tragic hero, Malekísértetkelzorn, the last of the Great Zordon's Eltaran Rangers, was tricked by the forces of evil into revealing his secret quest, resulting in the deaths of his teammates and his wife. He was subsequently banished and forced to wander the universe as a morphed ghost, in search of good deeds which would atone his sin and restore his mortal body_: See also: _mythological explanation for the appearance of the Phantom Ranger throughout various planetary historical records._

* * *

Teeg roared in frustration. Screeching, howling, and all but destroying the bridge of her command ship. Feline fangs and claws were barred and the viratrons scrambled to avoid them, huddled miserably under the consoles or cowering pathetically together in the corners. Even Kemora was impressed by the tirade, she honestly hadn't thought the woman had it in her. Off to one side, Rita and Zedd stood stoically together, quietly trying to act as if they weren't present. 

"This is your fault!" Teeg roared, spinning around and facing the demon head on. "He was all but dead, now she's snatched him back. Tell me how that happened? Tell me how an infant sorceress has managed to thwart the magic of Rita combined with the Mystic Mother?"

"K is nothing if not lucky…but that luck won't last, it never does." The demon responded in an unconcerned tone.

"But she has the Dragonzord coin!" Teeg howled in frustration, almost hysterically. She reared back her arm as if to strike Kemora, then lowered it, fixing her fierce glare on the demon's glowing red eyes and panting heavily. "Kill her." She snared evilly. "Leave nothing, not even a soul to wander the universe."

"I will gladly oblige," Kemora purred. "But she still has the edge, she still has the pit under her control. With it, she could quite possibly turn the rest of your evil Rangers as well…"

Teeg spun and seemed to consider the other woman's words as she surveyed the damage she'd done to her ship's nerve center. She wasn't ready to give the demon that much power, but, then again, she'd served her purpose. The artificial shell she was encased in had held. It had calmed her mind, restored her sanity, and seemed to indicate a similar encasement would serve her master well. Slowly, she turned around, her glare malevolent. Lerigot's wand appeared in her hand and she stretched it out to the demon slowly.

"Destroy her…" Teeg growled forebodingly, a large catlike growl rumbling in her throat. "Decimate her."

Kemora's eyes locked in on the wand euphorically. She snatched it from the other woman, glorifying in the power that coursed through her at its touch. She laughed feverishly, then turned an evilly triumphant gaze toward Teeg; within seconds, she disappeared.

"Prepare to open the towers." Teeg snarled. "It's time to end this world."

"My queen," Rexo answered hesitantly. He was freshly returned from his failure to secure Phaedos and Eltar and wasn't certain he should call attention to himself, but his mistress was acting rashly. "The towers have not yet reached full power." He counseled.

"You are in no position to question my strategy." She hissed, then turned her back on him and strode from the bridge. "Clean this mess up." She ordered just before the door closed behind her.

* * *

Kim appeared in a very familiar looking Angel Grove Park, looking around quickly to see if anyone had noticed her entrance. She could have smacked Jason for letting her go to sleep. Even if it was only for a few hours, even if she was exhausted, it had been enough time for Teeg to mobilize. Time, even borrowed time, was now beyond precious; there was none to lose. She buried the worry for her still unconscious husband deep within her and focused on her task. There was absolutely no room for error. 

This time would be slightly different than the last. The other Kimberly she'd chosen was younger, the team still in their mid-teens. She had chosen to appeal to their Zordon first, gain his acceptance before interfering with that dimension's timeline. The teens themselves had been eager, despite her caution at the seriousness of the danger, and it had been a wise choice to involve their mentor first. Her argument was simple. Their Kimberly had been possessed by Kemora, traveled to her world, and set about the chain of events that was leading to its destruction. Kim, therefore, had a right to ask the young Kim to return and help save it. Fortunately, their Zordon had agreed that the logic was sound and the teens, near euphoric at the prospect of interdimensional travel, had readily agreed to come with her.

They understood they'd be assisting, not leading, but none of them could suppress their youthful enthusiasm at the idea of traveling to an alternate world. Only the young Kimberly seemed to grasp the magnitude of what her double was asking. She had turned cautiously to her Zordon, asked a series of very intelligent questions for one so young, questions Kim herself would never had formulated at that age, then cautiously agreed to her assistance.

This time she was dealing with a set of Rangers who were nearly the same age as herself. There was no Zordon. They, like her own team, were the mentors in this world and they would make their decision for themselves.

It was early afternoon and usually there was a lot of activity going on, but strangely, no one was about. Her eyes shifted to the traffic jam of to one side. The traffic was beeping and pushing in one direction, with all traffic lights turned on green.

"Monster evacuation." She muttered to herself. She didn't have time for a monster, she had to wrap this up in a certain time frame in order to return in a two minute or less time arc, but at least it would make it easier to find the Rangers.

She set off at a trot, instinctively heading for the one spot monsters on her world usually favored. There, near the pond, she found the Turbo Rangers, but they weren't facing a monster, they were fighting some weird hybrid of a putty and robot with Goldar and a blond woman in a really tacky leather outfit looking on. Worst of all, the Rangers were fighting in metallic armor. She'd hated that stuff; it made you sweat like crazy.

The guardian in her got the best of her for a second and she began to silently take note and catalog the differences of this alternate world before she simply rolled her eyes and marched forward. The closer she got, the more she realized this wasn't going to be as simple as she'd hoped; the blond woman was an Olympian goddess. There weren't too many of those left in the galaxy, but the ones that were still around weren't exactly easy to deal with.

An explosion close to her right made her duck back behind a tree and examine her options. If this group had an evil goddess after them, they weren't likely to want to take off and help her; even if she promised to have them back in a few minutes. She'd have to deal with the goddess herself, ensuring them they'd be able to safely leave their world and help her. The guardian in her again reared its ugly head as she thought of all the rules she was breaking if she interfered, but she reminded herself firmly that Netau and his cronies had cheated. She had the proof of his corruption embedded in the containment orb she'd encased him in…she just couldn't give it to anyone without admitting she'd killed him. If she was going to cheat, she decided at last, she might as well do it in a big way.

Squaring her shoulders, she closed her eyes and called her Phaedosian staff to her. It didn't matter that she was cross dimensions, the staff was powered by the Temple on Muirantias and would come to her whenever and wherever she needed it. She gripped it high above her head and it's power crackled down her arm and through her body. As it did so, her plain grey uniform disappeared and was replaced by tight black leather. Eyes glowing red, she marched past the line of Rangers, who had now re-grouped and were facing off against the goddess and, before anyone could stop her, zapped Goldar and the young girl next to him with her staff. They disappeared, re-appearing only a few seconds later on the other side of the park, far enough away to let her face off against the goddess alone.

"Who the hell are you?" The goddess challenged, turning and facing off against her.

"Kemora." Kim spat back nastily. "Demon spawn of Maligore… and these Rangers are mine!" She roared.

"Over my dead body." The blond goddess snarled. "And since I can't die…." She reared back, fireball appearing in one hand.

"I'll just have to dispose of you elsewhere." Kim finished with a deadly sweetness. She raised her staff and, in an explosion of red light, the goddess was gone; sucked like a cartoon character through a portal that opened like a bright red straw, then reversed and collapsed into itself.

"Anybody else?" Kim hissed dangerously, turning to where Goldar and the girl were running toward her. They stopped, stared for a second, then disappeared together.

"Didn't think so." Kim muttered, lowering her staff. As she did so, the black leather melted away, revealing her grey uniform again, but as she turned around, she came face to face with five Turbo Rangers, all in battle mode.

"Relax." She said, leaning against her staff. "I'm not Kemora."

"Then why tell Callisto you were?" Her own voice challenged from behind the pink Ranger's mask.

"Because she's an Olympian goddess." Kim answered dryly, as if that were a stupid question. "You can't kill them, they're generally incredibly bitchy, and they tend to hold grudges for centuries. She'll be beyond pissed when she gets back and I'd much rather have her off seeking revenge on Kemora's ass than mine."

"That's brilliant!" Carri's voice cried out from behind the yellow Ranger uniform. "You're right you know, she'll be beyond pissed you interfered…and she'll go after you."

"What did you do with her?" Tommy's voice asked from behind the red Turbo uniform.

"I sent her to a place called the Island of Illusion." Kim answered, noting how the resident Kimberly shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the Island. "Quagmire should have a good time with her. The only way out is to face your deepest insecurities and goddesses are notoriously overconfident in themselves. It'll take her a while, but unfortunately, she'll eventually break free and come back."

"Oh…sweet…" The resident Carri sighed with such a malicious glee that Kim smiled at her indulgently. It was kind of nice to know Carri was a Ranger on this world. It didn't happen very often.

"And you are…" The pink Turbo asked.

"That's a little more difficult to explain." Kim answered hesitantly, leaning her head against her staff again. She'd had the same conversation countless times; yet she was always asked and she always answered the same way.

"Then try." The red Turbo demanded. It was the same no-nonsense tone her own Tommy used and she smiled wistfully and a bit sadly at him.

"Well… I started out a Kimberly…" Kim said, nodding at the pink Ranger. "…not in this dimension, but in an alternate one… and just like most Kimberlys, I was a Power Ranger, trained by Zordon. From there, my path divided from most; I was captured by a villain named Divatox and sacrificed to a demon named Maligore as part of a marriage contract."

"Just like Kemora." The pink Ranger interrupted, shifting back into a fighting stance. "And you're different… how?"

"I'm her doppelganger." Kim said simply, using Thomas's favorite comparison. "Her polar opposite. Unlike Kemora, I chose not to let the anger over my life's disappointments rule my soul. I use my powers to follow her through dimensions…mostly in an effort to repair the damage she's done and hopefully, eventually, contain her and prevent her from harming anyone else."

"She's contained." The pink Ranger answered harshly. "We trapped her once and for all the last time we fought her."

"No." Kim answered sadly. "I wish that were true, but it's not as easy as that. She escaped and has joined forces with an enemy that Zordon fought and banished over ten thousand years ago, before he resettled on Earth. Now she's about to take her revenge on me by destroying my world and recapturing the very source of power that created us. If she succeeds, she'll be able to lead Teeg's forces across dimensions and take her revenge on every Kimberly she can find. As far as I know," She continued, nodding at the pink Turbo Ranger, "You're one of only two Kimberlys, besides myself, who've successfully defeated her; and not once, but twice. I need your help." She said earnestly, almost pleadingly. "My world is about to be destroyed by a force that has never been defeated, even by Zordon. I need to combine my power with yours or Kemora will destroy me and no one will ever be able to stop her."

"How do we know we can trust you?" The resident Tommy asked. "That you're who you say you are."

"You don't." Kim answered honestly, facing him head on the way she'd talk to her Tommy. "You have to take my word and go on faith."

The Turbo Rangers seemed to consider that, then the resident Carri offered, "Well, we can take her back to the Command Center. If she's evil, Billy's filters and security devices won't let her in."

"That's true." Rocky's voice from behind the blue Turbo helmet added.

"Alright Billy…." Tommy said into his communicator. "Get a signal lock on…" He paused and looked up at Kim. "If you're a Kimberly from another dimension, do we call you Kim?"

"That tends to get a little confusing." Kim said with a soft smile. "Most simply refer to me as K, although I'm also known by the Phaedosian name of Kaycea." Kim answered, noticing the sharp jerk of the yellow Ranger's head in the pink's direction. "but…" she added "This dimension appears to parallel my own rather closely. So perhaps it's better if you simply refer to me as K."

"Alright." Tommy said, also noting the curious exchange of looks between his teammates. "Billy, get a lock on K. Scan her and attempt to transport her in."

"I'm already ahead of you." Billy's voice rang through and within seconds all were transporting out.

* * *

"I understand you dilemma." The resident Tommy said carefully. "But I don't understand how it involves this team." 

"It doesn't." Kim responded honestly. "Kemora has twice attacked your Kimberly and twice she's been beaten. There's a very good chance she'll be back for her as soon as she regains her ability to cross dimensions. Your Kim has the dimensional right to prevent her return, to prevent her from joining forces with that goddess who's after you." She added, hoping to draw their interest a little more. "I have the legal right to afford her transport to Muirantias and fight with me and my Jason in an attempt to thwart her, it's just my hope that the rest of you will decide to come too; not only to help on Muirantias, but on my world where Kemora has joined forces with my enemy."

"If Kemora's loose," The resident Kim said with determination, "Then I need to go. K's right, I've defeated her twice, she's not likely to forget about me."

"Kemora's not just your enemy." The resident Carri said, also standing up. "We've all been effected by her."

"Then…we should all go?" The resident Tommy asked, looking directly at the resident Rocky and Jason. They nodded back in agreement. "Then it looks as if you have a Ranger team to work with." He replied, looking back at Kim.

"Could I also ask the assistance of your Billy?" Kim asked hesitantly. She was pushing it, she knew. She should be content with just the help of the resident Kim.

"I'm not a Ranger anymore." Billy answered tentatively, but very pleased to have been asked for help. Everyone liked to be needed and it had been a very long time since someone other than his friends had actively sought his assistance in saving a world.

"That would leave our world completely unprotected." Tommy answered, shaking his head.

"I can have all of you back here in less than five minutes." Kim explained. "We'll use a time arc. No matter how much time passes while you're away, you'll be returned with very little time passing here." It wasn't entirely the truth, she admitted to herself, but it was close enough.

"What would I do there?" Billy asked.

"Our Billy is…distracted." Kim said cautiously. "His wife is…very ill. Your Command Center organization is very similar to ours." She admitted, omitting that this one looked far more technically advanced and impressive. Her home base was good, but it was a refurbished fallout shelter. What it lacked in design, it made up for in solid technology, but it wasn't nearly as impressive as what she was sitting in now. "We could really use your assistance keeping things running." She admitted.

Billy stared at the odd version of Kim who had entered their world, resisting the urge to grin. He was needed back to action again and his heart pounded excitedly at the prospect. True, it was only to do what he was doing for his own Ranger team, but it was a mission off his planet and out of his dimension. He chewed silently on the words she had chosen. His alternate's wife was ill. By her face, she was obviously more than ill and he wondered what could have happened to her. He thought of his own wife and then wondered how he would face down the destruction of his planet if he was in danger of losing her.

"How long will it take Callisto to get back here?" He asked.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "It depends entirely on how confident she is in her abilities. A few hours maybe? A few days? It's hard to say."

"And we'll be back here in less than five minutes?"

"Approximately." She answered, nodding her head.

"Then I'll come." He said, and Kim smiled at him broadly in relief.

She rose and held out her hand. In a flash of red light, six small red crystals appeared; each attached to a thin cord.

"Keep these crystals with you at all times during your journey." Kim advised, walking to each of the assembled Rangers and holding out her hand for them to take one. "Should anything happen, should your life force in anyway be jeopardized, it will automatically send you back to your starting point. This way, we can ensure your own timeline is not harmed by your assistance to mine."

She handed the last crystal to the resident Kim, who took it from her and placed it around her neck as the others had. "Thank you." She said earnestly, meeting her eyes, and her twin nodded.

* * *

The Command Center was a buzz of activity when she returned with the six rescuers. It seemed like everyone was rushing around at once. She noticed with relief that Jason has spirited away the young Rangers, acknowledging her warning that they needed to be careful of influencing them too much. She'd lectured them all sternly that each dimension was different, that what they saw on her world was not necessarily their future, but how much had actually gotten through their teenage brains, she wasn't sure. 

As the last of the light surrounding the voyages disappeared, they looked around curiously and the crew of her home world stopped to regard the new comers as well. Kim was acutely aware that their Command Center wasn't nearly as pretty as the one she'd just left, but the newcomers understood that her world was in great peril and a defense bunker made sense in time of war and devistation.

"What's happening?" Kim asked, moving away from the small group and striding over to her Jason. He shifted his gaze from the doubles in front of him back to her.

"You cut it really close." He chastised. She'd only been gone a minute and a half. "Kemora's on Muirantias." He said seriously, letting the implication sink in. "Cole's engaging now."

"I'll send you back thirty seconds after his last transmission." Kim answered, swaying a bit from the realization that the last battle was now at hand.

"You all right?" He asked softly, aware that the newcomers were watching them closely.

"Fine." She responded hoarsely, although they both knew she wasn't. She'd timed it too much in the last few days. Each exertion of her power without time to recharge weakened her tremendously. "I'm ready." She said, meeting his eyes, and he nodded.

"Jesus Christ!" The resident Rocky's voice swore through the opening to the sleeping quarters. "Will you just…hold up! Come back here!" He yelled and a few seconds later Carri burst through the archway, obviously in high temper.

She stopped immediately at first sight of the alternate team and reared her shoulders back, giving her Kim a derisive look. Rocky chose that moment to burst through the archway, obviously in hot pursuit of her, and at his second bark to hold up, she made a snarling face and a claw-like motion with her hands as if she was trying to strangle the air. The act was so much like their own Carri in high temper that the alternates, including the alternate Carri, grinned at the scene.

Kim moved quickly to put herself between the two and Jason also moved in a few seconds behind her. Whatever the fight, they didn't have time for it.

"What's going on?" Jason growled at Rocky, who had stopped to gape at the group of doubles. He snapped his head back, face contorting from confusion back to red hot anger.

"She attacked Jessica." He raged. "Right outside her assigned room space."

"I did not attack Jessica." Carri snarled definitively in return, directing her comment to Kim and ignoring Rocky. "I defended myself." She insisted adamantly.

"She smashed her nose in so completely that even the medical computer's having a hard time putting it back." Rocky growled.

"Please tell me you didn't use…" Kim asked quietly, holding up her own fist and silently asking if she'd slammed a metal fist into the girl.

"No!" Carri spat indignantly, grasping her meaning. "And does this look like I attacked an innocent girl?" She ranted, pulling the hair off her face and revealing the ugly bruise that was forming. "The bitch kicked me!" She railed. "She actually kicked me!"

"Then what were you doing down that hallway?" Rocky asked, leaning around Jason's frame to look at his girlfriend.

"Looking for you!" Carri hissed. "And I found you too!" She snarled accusingly.

Kim closed her eyes in frustration, physically willing herself to stop shaking. She didn't need this, not now. She had to get herself, Carri, and Karone back in time before Teeg's force field appeared and then to Triforia; where they'd find who knew what. Opening her eyes, she realized that the Alternate team of Rangers were laughing. Following her gaze, Carri also looked in their direction, temper temporarily checked at the sight.

"What?" Carri asked testily. "You think it's funny?"

"No…" The alternate Carri responded, eyes twinkling and trying very hard not to laugh. "It's just…just pray Jessica doesn't sue you. That's what she did to me when I…you know…" She made a motion like a right jab into the air.

"Oh my god…" Carri fired back, temper heating up again. "Don't tell me that bitch has a kid with him in your dimension too!"

The other Carri froze, white faced and wide eyed, then turn a heated and accusing look on her Rocky who held up his hands defensively and quickly shook his head no.

"Carri…" Kim said in a loud enough warning voice that both of them turned her way. She ignored the alternate Carri and fixed a warning glare on hers. "You know better." She warned. Her Carri had experience with alternates, she knew not to influence them with too many details, no matter how closely they paralleled. She held her friend's eyes firmly for a few seconds then turned toward her Jason.

"If Kemora's already on Muirantias, then I need to get you all headed there." She said simply. Jason nodded curtly and turned to join the group of alternates, but was interrupted by Hayley rushing in through the other archway.

"Kim…" She said breathlessly, "He's waking up."


	20. Chapter 20: The Muirantian Factor

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 20: The Muirantian Factor

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban or Disney. All things Carri related belong to KJ, with many thanks. The Solar Force Ranger is Chris incarnate. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and pretty much all other Original Characters belong to me. The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

* * *

_**The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

Author's Disclaimer: I've taken liberties again with PR cannon…sorry, just couldn't resist.

* * *

Kim swallowed hard and swayed a bit, enough so that both Jason and Carri reached out to grab her in case she fell, but in the next instant she was off, rushing to Tommy's side; the alternates forgotten. He was pale, deathly pale, with blue lips and an ashen tone to his face that made her heart sink, but his thickly curled eyelashes fluttered when the computer beeped that the last of the cryo-freeze regeneration cycles were complete. 

When is eyes opened, they were unfocused, as if he couldn't see or simply didn't have the strength to try. He moaned softly, closing them again, and Kim placed her hand gently against the side of his face, softly stroking his temple with her fingers. He turned then, frowning, and forced his eyes to focus on her.

"Why wasn't I informed sooner?" Billy's voice fumed at Hayley as he emerged from the dormitory section where he'd been sitting with Trini. "If he's still evil…" He stopped still at the sight of the alternates, rearing up and looking as if he'd completely lose his temper, but the medical bed beeped again and he shifted his focus and headed back in Tommy's direction. "Welcome back." He said gruffly, sliding a portable scanner up and down Tommy's length, then jamming it into a slot on the medical computer's main tower.

"How is he?" Kim asked anxiously, oblivious to the stares of the visitors who only now realized who was lying in the critical care bed.

The alternate team shifted uneasily; their Kim catching the eye of her Tommy. Carri noticed her worried look, as if she was sympathizing with her twin and wondering how she'd handle the world ending and her Tommy being seriously hurt. She shifted her gaze to her own double, who had backed up against the alternate Rocky for silent support, then quickly refocused her eyes back on the Tommy lying on the med-bed.

Now was the moment of truth, now they would learn if Kim had successfully converted him back into the Tommy they knew or if he was still Teeg's servant. She cast a wary glance at Jason, who nodded and caught Rocky's eye, and the three of them moved into a favorable position to restrain their friend if he attacked Kim and Billy.

"I need to ask you a few questions." Billy said, trying to temper the gruffness fatigue had put in his voice. "I need you to try and answer them as best you can. Do you understand?"

"Chest…" Tommy croaked, struggling with the words, but focusing and holding Billy's eyes. "Hurts…no air."

Billy nodded and turned, programming something into the computer. After a moment, there was a hissing noise and Tommy seemed to relax a bit.

"That's all I can give you for now." Billy said, turning back around. "Any more and you'll go back to sleep. I need to ask you a few questions first." He repeated, and this time Tommy nodded.

"Do you know what day it is?" He asked and Tommy shook his head slowly no. "Do you know what year?"

"Two- thousand- seven." Tommy rasped. Breathing still seemed difficult for him and Kim met Billy's eyes fretfully.

"Do you know what happened to you?" Billy asked, but Tommy shook his head no, eyes closing for a moment and then re-opening them. "Can you tell me who you are?" Billy asked seriously. And Tommy squinted at him, either wondering why he asked or wondering how to answer.

"Thomas Oliver." He whispered finally. "Why the questions?"

"Bear with me." Billy said seriously. "You've incurred substantial injuries; the most mild of which is cardiac arrest and mild brain trauma. I need to assess the extent of any lasting damage."

"Then ask." Tommy responded weakly, closing his eyes again and trying to keep stray thoughts of the heart attack that had killed his dad out of his mind. He felt horrible, the pain constricting his chest and the lack of oxygen in his lungs seriously weakening him. He didn't know what had happened to him and he was honestly a little afraid.

"Do you know who that is next to you?" Billy asked.

Tommy opened his eyes and turned his head to see Kim staring at him apprehensively. He smiled softly as her face came into focus, then noted the circles under her eyes and other signs of stress and strain. He wondered at them briefly, concern for her slipping through the pain coursing through his own body. "Hey Beautiful." He answered softly, smiling a little. He was rewarded with a beaming smile from her, which seemed to dull the pain, making things right again, and he smiled back.

"Can you tell me her name?" Billy pressed. "Her relation to you?"

"Kimberley…Oliver." He said with a grin, "My wife." He added softly, eyes twinkling, then frowned as she burst into tears. Within seconds, he saw Jason's shape come forward and pull her away out of his line of vision, but he could still hear the sobbing sound she made and her gasping for air as she tried to control the crying. He turned his head back to Billy, giving him a questioning look, noticing his friend looked equally tired and strained.

"It's been a difficult twenty-four hours." He responded cryptically. "But it appears as if that luck of yours has held again. Rest, they'll be time enough for explanations later." He finished, hitting a few buttons on the panel next to him.

Tommy started to protest, to demand to know what had happened, but a numb sort of floating feeling began to surround him, followed by multicolored rainbows dancing around his line of vision. Within seconds, a warm blackness covered him like a soft blanket and he was snoring softly.

* * *

Cassie found Malek in the small garden area that had been roped off for the uniformed "volunteers." The primary objective in closing it off from the main eating area was mostly to protect the vegetation, which included several alien species of plants who could easily harm, and quite possibly eat, the visiting humans, as well as to provide the Rangers their own synthetron; eliminating the need to wait in the long lines the families created. 

There were few people about, the shifts had changed again and people had already swooped in to quickly eat and then rest or had simply gone to their quarters without eating. He was sitting at a small table off to the side, feet propped up on an adjacent chair, watching the television screen that hung from the dividing wall back into the family area. He looked up as she entered, then stood as she approached.

"I thought you went to rest." He said, noticing, even in the dim light, that she looked distressed.

"I can't sleep." She said lamely. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." He answered, indicating she sit down.

Cassie sat quietly and chewed her lip as a silence settled around them. He leaned back in his chair and resumed his watch of the destruction outside the compound, but didn't bother with casual conversation. If she wanted to confide in him, he thought to himself silently, she would; for now, he'd be content with the idea that she had sought him out.

Cassie shifted in her chair and glanced at the scenes of destruction on the monitor, then to the peaceful foliage around her. A few moments before, she'd known precisely what she had wanted to say to him, but now she wasn't so sure. The words caught in her throat and, to her frustration, her eyes burned hot and threatened to mist over with tears.

She had never seen the Phantom's face, never heard his voice except through his helmet speakers, she had never known the feel of his hand on hers except through his uniform gloves, yet she had loved him, worshiped him, and pined for any sign of his presence. There had always been a connection between them, as if they had spent a previous lifetime knowing each other and had been only recently reunited. She tried desperately to feel that connection now, with the man seated next to her, but doubt niggled at the back of her mind.

He wasn't all that old, she decided, but he wasn't gorgeous like Ashley had said. His body was well formed and muscular, like all Rangers, but his face had sharp, hawkish lines to it that prevented him from claiming any real beauty. His wavy black hair was cropped short and made another sharp contrast with the light, steel blue-grey of his eyes. His nose was too long and looked as if it had been broken and poorly reset too many times. He wasn't beautiful, the way her culture defined a beautiful man, but there was an aura about him that softened the sharpness of his features, an underlying strength that tempered the faults, and gave him the appearance of handsomeness.

"Do you plan on opening the conversation or simply staring at me?" He asked, eyes still focused on the screen above them.

Cassie didn't know what to say. She had been so sure a few moments before, but now…now she just didn't know. It seemed too unfathomable, that the living breathing, flesh and blood man before her could be one in the same with the beloved hero of her youth. Slowly, she stretched her hand across the table towards him, opened her closed fist, and deposited the ruby in front of him. Retracting her hand, she waited quietly for him to respond.

His eyes left the monitor on the wall and focused on the gem. Without showing any outward signs of recognition or uneasiness, his eyes then left the precious stone and held hers. He maintained his sharp, non-verbal, scrutiny until the tears began to drip down her cheeks; only then did he look away.

"I can respect…" She began slowly, her throat choking on the words "…that you seem to not want to recognize me, that you survived but didn't come back for me… that you didn't want me…but I have to know…" She said, her voice breaking and the tears falling heavily from her eyes, "I have to know why."

Malek shifted uncomfortably, eyes focusing on the plant life of the garden. He hadn't expected this. He'd been fairly confident that she hadn't put things together; which was why he'd stayed in the compound instead of returning to the ship. He'd also wanted to see her again, he admitted to himself; had hoped to see her again. It had taken every ounce of telepathic control not to reach out to her; to hide behind a shield of unfamiliarity. It had been a reflex that reached out to her from the ship when she approached it; one he'd had to stomp down and quickly hide.

Before meeting her, he'd thought himself incapable of ever experiencing that particular bonding feeling again. He had loved in his youth, he had also lost the love of his youth. For eons, nothing and no one could stir the emotions generated by the simple presence of the Astro's little pink Ranger, but that was the crux of the problem; she was little girl…and he was no longer young. A fact easily concealed and forgotten about while he was morphed, but not so in reality.

"Why didn't you sell that damn thing?" He growled, still not looking at her. It had been his expressed wish, his last will, she was honor bound to see it carried out.

"Sell the ruby that held the life-force of my beloved?" She asked incredulously, tears still falling and voice shaking as he all but admitted what she was now positive was true. "How could I ever part with that last precious link?"

"It was a prison." He snarled angrily, eyes coming up sharply to meet hers. "A confinement cell with no way out. You have no idea what it was like; encased in cold stone, unable to see anything beyond a computer's readout, smell anything but the suit's filters, feel anything beyond…." His eyes had grown hard and cold and he clenched his fists together as he struggled with emotions that overwhelmed him. "No sensory perception at all beyond that of a damn computer. It was a living hell." He said forcefully between clenched teeth.

"It was all I had." Cassie sobbed, vision blurred behind a wall of water spilling past her lashes. "You never came back…why?" She wailed. "If you didn't want me, I would have understood." She added, sniffing loudly and wiping her eyes on her uniform sleeve. "But to lie… to pretend you were dead, to make me believe…"

"I never intended to let you believe that." He said guiltily, his own eyes threatening to mist over. His heart was being pulled apart by her tears. He'd never wanted to hurt her. She had been so young and he'd emerged, not as the young man he'd been, but old and weathered. Besides, his job wasn't finished. How could he, an old man, take something so young and so precious away from her family and her world just to satisfy his own selfish desires? She had needed to let go of the silly girl-hood fantasy and live a real life on her world.

"The Zordon Wave ended the morph that kept me alive." He explained softly, still not looking at her. "The Blue Centurion just assumed when the morph broke and the ruby fell…I woke up far away from the last confrontation…in the same location where Zordon had tried to save me and instead doomed me inside an eternal morph. By the time I realized the magnitude of what had happened, the Centurion had taken my ship and the ruby to Earth…it was better this way Cassie, can't you see that?"

"Why?" She demanded and when he looked up, her tears had stopped and a hard edge had formed in her eyes.

"Cassie…" He said softly, "Look at me. Do you have any idea how old I am?"

"Do you honestly think that matters to me?" She spat and his eyes softened in amusement.

"Think back Cassie. You were sixteen years old, a baby. A child with a whole lifetime of possibility in front of her. Do you honestly think a man with over half his life behind him has the right to swoop in and take advantage of that? That her parents would allow it?"

"It wasn't like that." She fired back, anger rising now that the tears had spent themselves. "I was in love with you."

"No." He said gently, regret clenching his heart. "You were in love with a mysterious stranger and the romance of a dream; not with me. You had no idea who I was, you still don't."

"Bullshit." She snarled, surprising him. "You can tell yourself that all you want Malek, but I loved you more than anyone or anything I have ever known before or since. I have grieved for you…" She choked, voice breaking again. "…for eight years. My heart shattered the day Andros brought me that ruby and told me you were gone. My life ended." She bawled, tears falling again. "And no matter how hard I tried to go on, to forget, to keep living…I never could. Does that sound like a childhood fantasy to you?"

"Cassie…" He started, but she stopped him by standing up.

"No." She said firmly, swallowing the tears as best she could. "If that's your answer, fine…but it's bullshit and we both know it. If you didn't love me, if you didn't want me…" She burst out, nearly hysterical, "Why couldn't you be a man and just tell me?" she all but screamed, drawing the attention of the few people milling about the cafeteria area.

She turned on her heel and bolted, ready to just leave him staring after her, but he jumped up and, with surprising quickness, grabbed her from behind and swung her around. She wailed then, in great big gulps for all the years she had denied herself the right to grieve. Her hands came up and covered her face and with a loud defeated moan, his arms encased her and cradled her next to him; rocking her gently.

"By both sides of the Great Power little girl…" He whispered in her hair, rubbing his cheek against the softness and relishing the feel of her next to him. "Not love you? Not want you? You taught me feel again; that it was possible to feel again. Before you, I was little better than a machine. A human spirit trapped in a morphed metal frame. My dearest girl…you showed me how to feel human again…to love as sweetly and innocently and completely as I have ever loved."

"You took it all away and you didn't even consult me." She cried, finding enough anger in her to slam an irritated fist into his chest; it was hard as a rock and the pain in her wrist set her to crying again. He smiled at the gesture, then again at the feeling, then smiled that he was human and could feel any of it at all.

"Cassie, look at me." He said gently, pushing her back a little and catching her eyes. "What would you have me do, hmmm?" He asked, stroking the tears from her cheeks with the back of his hand. "I don't have many decades left in my life-span, yet my mission to stop Teeg and her master goes on. The only reason I even came back to Earth all those years ago was to find Kim and warn her that Teeg had escaped; but she'd already left for Phaedos. Dark Specter was merely a distraction, one I followed because of my concern for you… and I was afraid Teeg would try and join forces." He admitted. "Would you have me take you from your world, from your family, from any possibility of a normal life, and condemn you to the same quest that has damned me for centuries?"

Cassie gulped and met his light grey eyes, her hand reaching up to enfold the one stroking her cheek. If she could have thought of any words to say, they would have choked in her constricting throat. Not caring if Eltarans were in any way as prudish as the Kaoans and other races she had encountered, she reached up and gently placed her mouth against his; a wayward hiccup unintentionally deepening the kiss.

Malek groaned, his arms tightening around her and crushing her to him even as her own arms found their way around his neck and pulled him closer. The kiss deepened with all the pent up emotions that had been held at bay for far too many years and lasted long enough that even the boldest onlookers turned away. When at last they parted, reluctantly separating to gasp for air, she kept her body pressed close to his, arms still locked around his neck in case he might change his mind and disappear again.

"I can live with that answer." He said breathlessly. Leaning down to kiss her temple and nuzzle the space between her chin and ear, he smiled.

* * *

Karone stopped momentarily on her way through the Command Center to regard the small cluster of alternates, then diverted her attention to a crying Kimberly. 

"What happened?" She asked Carri. "Did he die?"

"No." Carri said evenly. She had little patience for Karone's lack of sympathy where dying was concerned. "He lived…and he remembers her."

Karone said nothing, but gave the other woman a look that seemed to ask why their mutual friend was still crying, then shrugged as if it was unimportant. Walking over to the still weeping Kimberly, who was held by a pained and uncomfortable looking Jason, Karone held out a piece of note paper.

"We've had another communication." She said simply, causing Carri to spit under her breath at the Kaoan's lack of tact.

Kim straightened up and took the paper, wiping her eyes and swallowing hard. To all present she looked far older than twenty-eight. There was stoop in her shoulders and a heaviness in her eyes that revealed a weariness with life one so young shouldn't have. She read the contents of the page, then allowed it to burst into flame in her hand; seemingly unaware of the heat and allowing the ashes to simply float to the floor.

"Oh my god…" She moaned. "Is it too late to recall Mystic Force?"

"They've already reached the no-contact zone." Karone said evenly.

"What happened?" Jason asked, his gut sinking and hoping Edward Moon hadn't betrayed them, but Kim simply shook her head.

"I need two Rangers." She said, looking directly at Karone. "Two that aren't assigned already, although everyone seems to be assigned something. Hopefully I have enough power left." She sighed. Karone nodded and strode purposefully toward the exit.

"You want to fill me in?" Jason asked. Kim nodded and turned toward the alternates.

"I'm sorry to delay you." She said. "This will only take a moment."

The others shifted uncomfortably as she turned and left the room; looking uneasily around them. The bunker wasn't pretty, but it was functional and the alternate Billy's eye caught the advanced technology well hidden beneath the simple esthetics. It was also odd to see the unmorphed rangers in grey uniforms; it was like entering a military outpost instead of a Command Chamber.

"You guys might as well sit down." The resident Carri said with a resigned sigh. "This might take a minute; especially if he decides to argue with her."

She watched as the group of alternates found what little seating was available in the small command center. They seemed a little nervous and uncomfortable and she really couldn't blame them. She had closed out more worlds than she cared to think about; watched helplessly as the Rangers in a similar position were defeated time and time again.

The alternate Kim had discovered the viewing screen was playing the local news and she drew the attention of the others to it. Scenes of destruction played over and over, not just in Angel Grove, but across the globe. One scene showed people being swept away by flood water, the next showed fire ravaging an entire street, the next a huge mud slide.

The med-bed consol beeped again several times and the group as a whole turned to where the resident Billy was reprogramming it.

"What happened to him?" The Alternate Kim asked.

"Teeg." Carri said simply, unsure of how much she should say. These Rangers were here to help, but they were still alternates and alternates could be easily influenced. "…and possibly Kemora, although it's not her style. We're not sure."

"They're married?" The alternate Tommy pressed, and Carri nodded.

"You guys ever encounter Teeg before?" She asked, even though Kim had specifically told her not to influence them. Her double turned around and shook her head no. "But you've fought Kemora right?" she asked.

"Twice." Her alternate answered and Carri whistled, shaking her head. One encounter with the demon was more than enough for her.

"Then take a good look at those pictures." Carri said evenly.

"Why?" The alternate Tommy asked.

"Because the towers causing this destruction eventually show up on every world Kemora visits." Carri answered. Then, leaning into their group and in a quieter tone added. "Learn all you can here. No one has ever defeated those towers. All the worlds have died. K and J are the only ones who have enough interdimensional experience to even have a shot at it…and we're not doing so good so far."

"How would you know?" Her alternate challenged.

"Because I help her close out the worlds that succumb." Carri answered sadly. "I've closed more than a dozen with her, but I never thought I'd live long enough to have to close out my own."

"We're not finished yet." Rocky admonished, coming up to the small group.

"No." Carri sighed, feeling the weight of the universe on her shoulders. "Not yet."

* * *

Ashley rolled over with an audible groan as her husband sat next to her on the bed and gently tried to wake her. She'd heard him get up with the baby, heard him feed and change her, leave and then come back. Eight hours had gone by way too fast. She knew her shift in the infirmary was due to start soon, she just didn't want to move. 

"Come on Ash…" Andros crooned, sympathetic with his wife's bleariness yet not really having time to play games. "I have to go over to Lightspeed. Carter needs help organizing a new team."

"New team?" She asked, rolling over and finally opening sleep crusted eyes.

"A new crop of kids Kimberly put together." He answered, leaning down and kissing her smartly on the forehead.

"Oh…wow…" She answered with a yawn, rubbing her eyes and trying hard to shake the hang-over feeling too little sleep with too much fatigue had caused. "I didn't know we could just create new teams."

"I'm not sure I'm surprised by anything Kimberly does anymore." He admitted. "I understand now why Tommy brought her into the Red Assembly… and why Jason listens to her."

"She's a good Ranger?" She asked, blinking the last of the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes." He said, grinning. "She's a very good Ranger."

"Yeah girl's team!" She teased sleepily, referring to her previous complaints that the girls never got to lead much and her husband's poor history as a youth, believing females didn't need to be Rangers, let alone in charge. She was glad there was a girl Ranger out there giving the boys something to think about; even if she didn't want to do that job herself. He grinned at her, tweaked her nose, then kissed her forehead again as he rose.

"I shouldn't be too long." He said, rubbing her arm firmly in an effort to keep her awake. "Don't go back to sleep, you're shift starts in twenty minutes.

"Crap." She said, sitting up and reeling from the dizzy feeling of rising too quickly. "Why didn't you tell me? The baby's with mom?"

"You were sleeping too soundly." He responded with a patient twinkle in his eyes. "And you needed the sleep….yes, the baby is with your mother and she's going to bring her by the infirmary around lunch time."

"Alright…I'm up...I'm up." She moaned unconvincingly, pulling her fingers through her matted hair in a vain effort to control the night's damage. The sheet slipped from her chest as she stretched, revealing that she hadn't bothered to put a nightgown back on after their love play the previous night. Andros smiled at the endearing picture she made and for a second, he could almost see the girl she'd been when they first met. He loved his wife dearly, even if he really didn't understand her.

In a way, he was a little glad to be ordered out of combat. It had been a fierce blow to his pride as a senior red to be instructed to stay behind with the civilians, and he'd been privately fairly angry with Kimberly for it, but he was also relieved not to have to worry about getting killed and leaving his wife alone to care for their child. He could stay with them and protect them and, in the worst case scenario, he could see them safely back to his home colony and settled there. Stray thoughts of losing them constricted in his chest; he simply wouldn't survive that scenario. He had survived the loss of his parents and sister, the deaths of his first Ranger team, but to lose Ashley and their baby would, without a doubt, kill him.

Ashley pulled her knees up to her chest and rubbed her eyes, obviously struggling to shake the sleep off. She had pushed the sheet away now and his eyes absorbed the curve of her back and the angle of her long leg. The pregnancy had filled out her hips and her chest, but she was still a tall and slim woman. She had been a beautiful girl when he'd first met her and had grown into an even more beautiful adult. He had given up everything he'd ever believed in for her and in return gained a lifetime of possibilities he'd never dreamed of.

Watching her struggle to wake up like a small child, the emotions whirled within him again. She had absolutely no idea how much he idolized her; how much he needed her. It was something he never felt appropriate to put into words; even if he could think of the right ones to say. He felt it though and suddenly all those feelings were completely overwhelming.

Sitting back down on the bed, he startled her by grabbing her in a tight embrace and kissing her even more passionately than he had the night before. They were alone now and, for him, that meant nothing was off limits. Besides, if what he knew from the data coming in was correct, it might be the last moment they had alone together on her world. Surprised, she giggled, then returned his attentions, pulling him backwards with her onto the bed and wrapping her arms around his neck. She wasn't sure what had spurred his amorous side into action, but she certainly wasn't going to complain about it either. So she'd be a little late, who cared?

* * *

"We need to talk." Rocky said quietly into Carri's ear as they sat with the alternate team. She turned and gave him an angry glare, but he held a cautionary hand up in surrender, leaning back to speak into her ear so the others couldn't hear. "I don't want to fight Carri, but I want to talk this thing out before you run off with Kim." 

Carri froze. She knew what was coming and honestly didn't want what could be their last moments together at odds. Sighing heavily, she turned and regarded the Alternates. It wasn't like she was guarding them or anything. Turning back to Rocky she nodded, then jutted her chin towards their small room. "If you guys will excuse us for a moment." She said, gaining the other team's attention. "You'll be fine in here by yourselves and Kim should be out in a second."

The other team nodded at her and she slid off the counter she was sitting on. Turning toward the sleeping quarters, she marched off without looking back and Rocky simply followed.

"Looks like those two are having a bit of a row." The alternate Rocky mused, thinking of the all the times he and his girlfriend had fought and made up over the years.

"If he's got a kid with Jessica," The alternate Carri hissed, "I really can't blame her for letting her temper loose." She raised an eyebrow at her Rocky, giving him a look that said she wasn't sure she'd handle that situation at all well either and he shifted uncomfortably, giving her a lopsided grin.

The alternate Jason had a dry comment ready to add, but it died on his lips as he recognized a tall, slim figure, wearing the same grey, military style uniform all the Rangers of this world seemed to wear, glide through the second archway. His heart skipped a beat as the woman recognized the group and veered in their direction.

Emily hadn't been this tired in a long time, she mused silently; not since her first few months of residency. She was used to long nights of no sleep then pushing on for another full day of work, but the stress and strain of everything happening to their world was huge. Her uncle was safe, and that was all that really mattered to her, but she couldn't help but wonder how her friends and their families were doing. There were no communications to the outside world and the news feeds they were receiving were disturbing at best.

She found Billy and his group of friends near the main command consol. They weren't in uniform, but she knew they were housed in the Command Center proper, so she supposed they were just off duty for the moment and taking some precious time for themselves before the real battle everyone was talking about started in earnest. Stopping in front of Billy, she smiled and said, "Trini and the baby have both stabilized. Dr. Manx seems to think they're both through the worst of it. Trini's asking for you though."

"Uh…thank you, I'll…I'll go at once." The alternate Billy said, watching as the resident Billy hurried past the sleeping Tommy, behind Emily's back, and through the archway Emily had emerged from.

"No problem." Emily smiled with tired eyes. "It's nice to deliver some good news."

Turning, she stepped aside and moved over towards the alternate Jason, who tried his best to remain calm. He and his Emily had had a turbulent breakup after years of being together. He had thought his Emily would be in his life forever, and despite his outward protests, still loved and missed her, but it was not to be. She was the only woman outside their small group he'd ever confided his history as a Ranger with, but instead of solidifying their relationship, the knowledge had eventually pulled them apart.

She'd been on the outside looking in; terrified anytime the news reported another attack or monster. He'd never seen the end coming; it had blindsided and devastated him. Now, her alternate, her exact twin in this world, was moving towards him wearing the same Ranger uniform the others wore. He took in the blue flap, the Ranger logo, the medical medusa, and worst of all, how the uniform clung to her frame, accentuating the curves. She moved easily in it, as if it were no different than a pair of jeans.

"I know it's morning already." She said as she came to a stop in front of him. "But I'm exhausted. I'm going to go back to the room and catch a few hours before I head back to the infirmary. I have the feeling I'm going to need to be on my toes later."

"Okay…" Jason managed hesitantly, throat clenching tightly. Her blue eyes were the same and, although her blond hair was darker, it still tumbled over her shoulders the same haphazard way it had on his Emily. It was completely devastating and he felt his heart breaking again over her loss.

"Just…wake me up when you come in, ok?" She said with a little grin that he remembered all too well.

He couldn't speak, just nodded and swallowed hard. She and her Jason were still together. They'd worked it out. She wasn't an outsider looking in, but a part of this world's team. It wasn't fair. She smiled at him then, like a dagger going straight through his chest, then placed a tentative hand on his arm, leaned up, and kissed his cheek softly.

She wasn't sure why she did it, perhaps because the last few hours had opened her eyes a little to his world…or maybe the pending destruction of the planet had made her rethink her position of never looking back a little. Jason wasn't a bad guy, he'd bent over backwards to help her and her uncle. Working on level eight, she'd seen how the other Rangers respected him; maybe she could re-think things a little, give it another chance.

The alternate Jason stared after her as she entered the transport portal set up in the far corner of the room and disappeared. He realized then that he had forgotten to breath and sucked in a huge gasp of air. The alternate Carri gave him a curious look, raising her eyebrow, and he shrugged nonchalantly, scrunching his face into a look that he hoped portrayed him as ambivalent. She didn't look like she was buying it; neither did his Kim.

"So they worked things out on this world." He said casually. "No big. Doesn't change what happened in ours."

Carri opened her mouth to comment, then closed it as the resident Kim and Jason filed back into the room.

"Alright, let's go." Jason said, obviously flustered by whatever news Kim had filled him in on, but using all his energy to re-focus on the task at hand.

"I'm going to send you back thirty seconds after Coles last transmission." Kim said in a serious tone. "He's already engaged Kemora, so be alert. She has the ability to make all the putties she wants out of the native soil…and she's on her home turf; her powers will be at their strongest." She said to the team, then turned to her Jason. "Good luck." She said with heavy feeling, leaning into him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "The Power protect you." She whispered, almost urgently, and he returned the sentiment with equal emotion.

To the group of alternates assembled, it seemed as if a red energy passed between the two of them, but it was only for a second and none were sure it had actually happened.

"Remember," Kim added, turning to the group as her Jason stepped closer to them. "If you get into trouble, your crystals will carry you safely back into your home dimension, but be careful. Kemora is a powerful demon and as unpredictable as she is volatile."

"We will." The alternate Tommy acknowledged. "We've faced her more than once; we know what we're getting into."

Kim nodded slowly at the alternate of her husband, eyes tired and unsure. It was now or never, the final battle had begun. She raised her hand to one side and her Phaedosian staff appeared in her hand. Without another word, a red glow encompassed the small group and they were gone.

She gasped loudly as they exited, staggering backward, and then falling to the ground; her staff skidding across the floor and head banging against the cold concrete floor of the bunker. She fought the blackness with everything inside her. There was too much to do and time was too precious to waste on any form of collapse now, but as the power drained from her already weakened form, the room spun and she moaned softly, finally succumbing to the faint; in an ominous beginning to the end.

* * *

Jason landed softly in the sandy jungle, soaking up the familiar power surge that engulfed him so close to the pit. The group landed safely in the jungles of Muirantias, with absolutely none of the preamble Kim had sworn was needed to get strangers that side of the Nemesis Triangle. Part of him wondered how she'd managed to skip out on that little detail and part of him was impressed that she even knew how to. It had taken Wild Force a whole day to reach the small interdimensional island; it had taken him and his team of alternate Rangers less than a few seconds. He made a mental note to ask her about it later, then took stock of where they were and what Kemora's position might be. 

It didn't take long. Within a few seconds, a Wild Force Ranger he identified as Merek came flying backwards through the brush and landed a few feet from them. The others were quick to jump into action, taking defensive stances and backing up to see if the other Ranger was alright.

"You all right?" He called over his shoulder, eyes still focused on the area he'd been tossed from as the girls moved to give him a hand up. He was morphed, so that meant they must have been able to establish the connection with the Phaedosian grid through the island's pit. One detail solved anyway.

"Fine." Merek responded. "Just wasn't expecting that big of a punch from Kemora's minions. Thank you for coming so quickly." He turned to the alternate Kim as he stood. "And I'm very glad to see you here. We've kept the demon from the temple entrance, but she's far more powerful than we anticipated…and she has an army with her that seems to come from everywhere at once."

"I…" The alternate Kim stammered. "I'm not the Kimberly you think I am."

Merek was morphed, but it was still obvious she'd caught him off guard. He took a step back, then turned his helmet to face Jason.

"Kimberly brought in alternates from another dimension." Jason said sternly, turning around to face the group. "There's no time to explain, just go with it. I think you should fill us in on what's happening, but first, I think the rest of you need to get morphed."

"Right." Tommy said, looking at each of his team members. "Shift into Turbo…" He called, but even as the alternate team of Rangers pulled their keys out and jumped into the ready stance, heavy vine nets came flying down from the trees, causing those present to drop to the sandy ground.

"What the hell?" Jason growled as a swarm of natives descended upon them, beating them with wooden clubs and poking at them with spears.

"The natives have rallied behind Kemora." Merek yelled, struggling to free himself of the netting.

"Impossible." Jason growled, "They're loyal to Kim."

"They think Kemora's Kim." Merek called back.

"Shit…" Jason muttered, then barked out a string of nonsensical syllables that the caused the natives to freeze. As one, they bolted back into the trees.

"What did you tell them?" The alternate Tommy asked.

"That those dim-witted morons captured the son of Maligore instead of the attacking enemy and I'm gonna throw the lot of them into the pit when I find 'em." He roared, pulling free of the last of the netting. "Kimberly's not the only one they obey."

He turned and, one by one, used his Muirantian strength to pull and rip through the netting, freeing the others from the tangle of vines. The Rangers stood and dusted themselves off, looking around the now deserted and quiet jungle. The alternate Tommy however, looked around, and lifted one set of vine netting and then another.

"Where's Kim?" He asked, panic rising. The others looked around them in confusion as he began throwing the netting around until at last he saw a familiar object in the sand. "Oh no…" He said, heart sinking. Slowly, he held up her Turbo Morpher with one hand and the crystal K had given her in the other. Kimberly was gone.

"This is so not good…" Jason muttered.

* * *

Ashley swung open the door to the infirmary and rushed inside. She was only ten minutes late, but it was embarrassing. Cassie and Kat were already there; Kat holding the hand of a woman who appeared to be in active labor and Cassie helping Malek set up another medical table suitable for that kind of emergency. 

"Sorry I'm late." She said, gulping air back into her lungs from her long run across the compound. "My husband decided to pay attention to me." She grinned, giving her friend an unrepentive look.

Cassie grinned back, her eyes twinkling when they met Malek's. She'd had a good night as well, although, to her disappointment, Malek had drawn a firm line as to what they would and would not do; damn him.

Being a what she considered a modern woman of her culture, she didn't understand the prudishness of the rest of the Intergalactic Community where sexual relationships were concerned; it was all so backward and steeped in ridiculous traditions. The difference between a wife and a mistress was apparently as huge as the galaxy itself and Malek had been as appalled as any other man of his society that she'd even consider the idea. To him, it was unworthy of her status as a fellow Ranger and to her it was unfathomable he wouldn't take advantage of her when she actively and openly gave him the opportunity to. It didn't make sense to her at all and was, in her opinion… and the opinion of a few of the female Rangers she'd discussed it with… completely stupid.

He had sweetly sworn his undying love and highest regard to her last night, which meant some fairly hot and heavy tumbling, but had absolutely refused to allow anything more…which was disappointing beyond words and left her pondering how to corrupt his silly sensibilities the next time she got him alone. She was beyond frustrated, but at the same time far too happy to care. They had spent the last few hours of her break locked up in her little room, completely enthralled with one another, and she was thrilled to discover that he apparently didn't have half the qualms Ashley complained about with Andros.

"So how many hours will Andros be singing vespers to the Kaoan god of prudence this time?" Cassie teased, giving Malek a mischievous look. When she had vocalized her relief that Eltarans were thankfully not as sexually hung up as Kaoans, he had burst out laughing and commented cryptically that he had spent very little of his life on his home world.

"It's not the god of prudence, it's Decom, the god of temperance…and Andros doesn't follow the worship of those gods, he follows the Eltaran teachings of the one Great Power… but my mother thinks he's a good converted Episcopalian, so don't say anything to her." Ashley said, hand on her hip and a saucy look in her eyes. She jutted her chin in the direction of the moaning woman and the nervous man fluttering over her. "Baby?" She asked.

"Baby." Cassie replied. "You might want to relieve Kat." She suggested quietly, standing up and leaning close to her friend's ear. "The computer has the pain of the contractions under control and she's doing a good job pretending to know what she's doing, but I think she's scared out of her wits."

"And I would be a good replacement…why?" Ashley countered.

"Because you've had a baby. You know what to do." Her friend shot back.

"Oh my god Cas, are you serious? Just because I've had a baby doesn't mean I know how to deliver one." She whispered franticly. "They said all we'd have to do was keep the med-beds operating, not deliver babies."

"You're serious…" Cassie said, giving her an incredulous look. "You mean there's no one in this room qualified to help that lady?"

"What about him?" Ashley said, pointing a finger at Malek as the woman on the table began breathing heavily and looked to them like she was about to push. "He's the medic."

"Field medic." Malek corrected, coming up next to the whispering girls. His hearing was more acute than the others and he'd heard the topic of their conversation. "I can follow the computer's instructions, reset bones and keep the blood loss to a minimum until a Ranger is evacuated into qualified hands…I'm not in the least qualified to do…" He hesitated as the woman in question moaned again. "I'm not qualified to do… that…" He said, gesturing uncomfortably. "Besides, her husband's standing right next to her. I can't touch her…there." He finished uncomfortably, earning an eye roll from the girls. "She needs a midwife," he insisted firmly, ignoring the gesture. "Cassie said you'd be able to handle it."

"Oh my god…nobody panic." Ashley said, heart pounding in her chest. "Ok…there are thousands of people on the NASADA complex…there has to be at least one person who can do this with the computer's help."

The two girls jumped again as the woman gave a full-fledged scream, then gave a concerned Kat a pair of weak, nervous smiles when she turned around. The computer was the doctor, but a computer couldn't catch a baby.

Malek gave the girls an indulgent look, then slid past them behind the counter and activated the infirmary's communications system.

"What are you doing?" Cassie asked.

"What I should have done five minutes ago when she came through the infirmary door; calling the Rangers in charge and asking them to send us someone who's actually qualified to be in here." He muttered.

* * *

Kim came to on the med-bed opposite Tommy. He was laying down, but propped up on his elbow, regarding her with a serious look on his face. When her eyes fluttered open a little more, he smiled at her and his shoulders seemed to relax a little in relief. Her first thought was of her relief that he was awake, her second was that, if Tommy was awake, more time had lapsed than they could afford. She bolted upright, only to slam full force into the critical care arm pinning her down. 

"Stay flat." Billy growled. "My god, between the two of you…" He left the end of his sentence unsaid, but Kim got the distinct feeling what he'd held back wasn't complimentary.

"How's your head?" Carri asked, coming into view on the opposite side of the table.

"How much time did we lose?" She asked in return, shocked at the weakness in her own voice.

"Not enough apparently, if you still can't keep your eyes open." She answered dryly as Kim struggled with heavy lids and the metal arm restraining her. "Stay still and let Billy do his job." She admonished, sounding an awful lot like her mother. "It's not like I'm overly eager to have you transport us out half unconscious." She fussed, indicating to Kim that she'd been seriously concerned and didn't want to show it. "I mean, the last time that happened we ended up six thousand years in the past fighting a purple slime ball."

"How long have we lost?" Kim asked again, putting more strength behind the words. Half of her hoping Tommy hadn't been awake long enough to find out what she had planed; she didn't have time to argue with him or deal with him trying to stop her.

"Just over three hours." Carri said frankly, and Kim groaned. "If it lessens the outburst that's about to come," Carri added, "We thought you were dead when we found you."

"Oh my god…" Kim moaned. Three hours, time enough for the computer to finish healing Tommy and time enough for him to be briefed on what had happened…lost time that they couldn't recover… and now that he was awake he'd probably waste more time arguing with her like Jason had…and now she'd actually have to say goodbye to him.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I said." Carri offered.

"No," Kim moaned, closing her eyes, "We didn't have an hour, let alone three… what's happening on Muirantias? Has Teeg opened the towers yet or is she holding to her past patterns and waiting until sunset? What…"

"Lie still and let the computer complete its final cycle." Billy barked, pushing Carri firmly out of her line of sight. "You sound just like you're husband."

"Carri, what's happening?" Kim yelled, panic forcing herself more awake and struggling with the computer arm.

"Oh for the love of…" Billy growled as Kim managed to disconnect the medical arm again. "Fine. Go. I release you to get killed. Both of you, just …go." He fumed, throwing his arms up and stomping away.

"Where are you going?" Rocky asked as he strode past him and then past the Alternate Billy who had stayed behind. "They're still both out of it and we've got a battle to fight."

Kim rose up slowly on one elbow and faced her husband, who has risen much faster into a sitting position once Billy had stormed off through the archway. He gave her a grin and she couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Are you ok?" She asked him as he slid off the bed and helped her sit up.

"I have a feeling I'm in better condition than you are." He answered, sliding his arms around her and kissing her forehead. In all her life, she had never welcomed that embrace more. She threw her arms around him and held him as tightly as she could; an embrace he gratefully returned.

In truth, he felt awful. His chest and head hurt, he was tired and short of breath, and he wanted nothing more than go home and crawl in bed with his wife for the next six months, but he was also scared she was in far worse shape than he was. As he'd woken up, he realized she wasn't by his side, as he'd remembered, but unconscious in the bed next to him. That realization had been terrifying.

While he fretted over his comatose wife, Rocky had spent the better part of the past hour painstakingly filling him in on the frightening details of the last twenty four hours; remaining flat on the med-bed only because Billy had threatened to send Rocky and the others out and put him in cryo-freeze again if he moved. Part of him was horrified by what was happening, but the bigger part of him was impressed by how the Assembly had pulled together and how much it had accomplished in his absence; He was also especially proud of how his wife had simply taken charge.

"Thank you for coming after me." He whispered into her hair.

"Yeah well," She sighed, holding on to him for just one more second before she knew she'd have to leave him again. "I've always had a thing for the green Ranger." She murmured, and he chuckled, kissing the side of her head smartly before pulling back. "Seriously, it's that whole Dragonzord thing…" She teased, "Very sexy." She added, smiling in relief at the mischief that twinkled in his eyes. She'd done it. If nothing else, he was back. "Besides, I think I owed you a rescue or two."

"Or six." He added and she rewarded him with a smile.

"How long have you been awake?" She asked.

"Long enough for Rocky and Carri to start filling me in." He said seriously. "And from the sound of things," He added. "It looks like you've been pretty busy."

He was still helping her sit upright, she realized. His hands holding her steadily upright on the table and, despite the glib words, she knew he was trying to analyze the situation and see if she was strong enough to continue.

"How much are you up to date on?" She asked, fighting the urge to allow her body to sway a little. She hadn't felt this weak since she'd been cut off from Muirantias. Suddenly, she panicked, if Jason had failed. "What's happened on Muirantias?" She asked.

"We don't know." Carri answered, stepping closer to the table again. "Jase hasn't contacted us and he hasn't come back. Billy swears he hasn't seen any surge on the morphin grids indicating Kemora's won, but you were out cold and Billy couldn't see anything wrong with you except your mitochondria thingies seemed…off. So we thought maybe he didn't do so well and you…" She left the last bit hanging and Kim nodded in understanding. They thought Kemora had cut her off and she was dying.

"I can still feel the pit inside the temple." She answered and the others relaxed a little. "It's just…shielded somehow. I dunno…" She answered, shaking her head slightly. "It's an odd feeling. It's there…but not. Maybe Jason has discovered a way to defend it I don't know about… or was forced to shield it to keep Kemora from drawing on its power. I don't know."

She looked up at Tommy and met the worried look in his eyes with one of her own. "I can't afford to sit here like this." She said, eyes pleading with him. "I've got to complete my half. If Jason dies on Muirantias…" She paused, the last words unsaid. She'd never once considered Jason failing there. She'd anticipated her own failure, her quest was by far the more dicey of the two, but if he failed.. "Tommy, if neither of us come back from this…"

"You'll both come back." He said firmly, unwilling to consider any other alternative.

"No. Listen…" She said, shaking her head and placing her hands on top of the ones holding onto her arms. "If neither of us come back…don't engage Teeg. Let her have the planet. You won't have enough power and people will just needlessly die. Stay low and get whoever survives to the colony Andros negotiated for."

"I refuse to consider that option." He said firmly, eyes hardening with determination.

"Please." She said softly, fingers gently sliding across his. "I know what's coming Tommy. I took you at dawn, she'll wait until just before sunset. The entire battle will take less than half an hour. Inside each of those towers is charging a fully functioning megazord. When the towers open, hundreds of thousands of claybots will burst forth to kill everything they find and the megazords will begin their destruction of the cities. If the Rangers fight, each of Teeg's megazord's will come together to create a destructive force that will make Serpentara look like a baby's toy."

His eyes widened slightly, barely perceivable to anyone who didn't know him well. His determined look still held, but she could also see him comprehend the situation they were facing and calculate the odds. They had one old and eccentric grid… one, maybe two functioning Ranger teams with megazord power…and very little else.

"She'll destroy everything on the surface." Kim continued. "Heating the atmosphere until it boils and the poles melt. Anyone outside after the initial battle will be offered shelter… only to be infected with the viratron virus and made a slave. Your only hope is to keep everyone underground, let her win, and then leave this place. Do you understand?"

He nodded sharply once, his eyes softening, not in defeat, but in a quick recalculation of where he needed to go next. Slowly, he gathered her up in his arms and held her tightly. He knew what she was about to do, where she needed to go, and just how poorly the odds were that she'd return. It was unfathomable that they'd be parted now. They'd only just been given a second chance.

"You come back…" Tommy all but growled, burying his face in the space between her ear and shoulder. After a moment, he pulled back and met her gaze, fear for her turning his eyes deadly serious. "…or so help me I'm coming after you."

She nodded, but didn't answer. She didn't have to. As he reluctantly released his hold, she reached up and gently cradled one side of his face with her hand. They didn't need words to understand what both felt. She leaned up and kissed the opposite cheek softly.

"As a lot others have already found out," She said with a soft smile, tilting her head to one side and locking his eyes with hers, "I'm about as difficult to get rid of as you are."

* * *

"So, what do we do now Bulkie?" Skull asked nervously as the last of the transport energy dissolved and the fog inside the hallways of the Lunar Palace began to roll past their ankles. 

"Karone said to transport and wait." Bulk said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"Right. Transport and wait." Skull repeated. "Wait for who?"

"I dunno." Bulk admitted, "But she definitely said wait." He repeated uncertainly, eyes adjusting to the dark corridor and ears picking up all sorts of terrifying sounds that he really didn't want to hear.

They were morphed again and a few seconds ago they'd been thrilled to receive their first assignment; even if they really didn't know what that assignment was. They had to transport, pick up something, and transport back as fast as they could. It sounded simple enough.

They glanced around the narrow hall nervously, crouching and circling around with their backs to each other in some sort of dancing ready-stance. Eventually, they backed into one another, yelping loudly in their self induced panic.

"Shush!" Bulk admonished in a hoarse whisper.

"You think anybody heard?" Skull whined nervously. The Lunar Palace was nothing if not creepy and suddenly being a Ranger didn't seem all that great a job to him anymore.

Footsteps could be heard approaching them. A heavy scraping sort of repetitive thudding; like metal against stone. They looked around frantically, both falling into a complete panic, but there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide; just the long hallway in front of them and a dead end in back.

As a tall, dark, and frightening shadow thumped steadily toward them, Skull squealed and jumped into a shaking Bulk's arms. Terrified, they held on to one another and shook. Slowly, the fog rolling around his form, the shadows revealed the armored shape of non other than Goldar himself.

"You.." Bulk said, incredulously.

"Rangers…" Goldar growled menacingly, shifting his long sword from one hand to the other. "I've been waiting for you…"

* * *

Carri exhaled a loud breath of relief, as the girls landed safely within the subdimension of Triforia, which, according to Thomas, was harboring the being known as Primus. She'd had far more confidence in this jump, but it was still disconcerting. On their first jump, Kim had taken them far into Earth's past, which Carri had initially thought was a mistake induced by Kim's fatigue, until she realized Kim had done it in order to buy more time and let her energy re-charge. It had taken her well over a week, but finally, she was strong enough to face the next phase of the plan. 

Carri had understood the need for the delay, and she understood that time would be absorbed on the return trip, but she was eager to get the quest part over with and get back home. She and Rocky were on good, steady, if not fabulous, terms, but she was scared to death for her brother and for the planet in general. She'd seen the destruction of the towers before and knew that what laid before them on this part of the journey was the easy part.

Karone had also taken the delay in stride, but like Carri, she wasn't happy about it. She wanted to get the quest over with and get back to Earth and save their friends; immediately. Learning Zane had been taken by Teeg and turned into an evil Ranger had been devastating; far more so than she'd ever considered it would be. He was right, she still loved him. That didn't necessarily mean she wanted him back, but she cared what happened to him and could identify more than the others over what he was going through as Teeg's evil slave.

Their relationship had been intoxicating while it lasted…and completely toxic in its finale. Karone had been born Kaoan, but not raised one, and that, more than anything, had been the crushing blow to their liaison. She hadn't fit in well at all with the stoic race of her birth and, for a while, she'd been fairly certain his non-conformity would be an asset to the association; not its demise. However, Zane, despite his free-loving spirit, was, at heart, a man of his culture. Eventually, play time had ended and he'd wanted a wife and mother for his mate; not a mistress. Karone had been bred to be a queen and was a woman used to power; completely in charge of her own destiny. No man would ever rule her through marriage, no matter how much she loved him, and she would bear no children that could possibly be considered Dark Specter's heirs; compromise was not an issue.

When he'd grown staunch in his position and demanded that it was either a formal legalization or a complete break, she'd shocked and crushed him by releasing him to go back to his world and make babies with someone else. Any heartbreak she'd felt that he actually left her for a legal wife had been carefully buried behind the steel tough emotional walls she'd learned to build as Astronima. It was over and she was past it, but that didn't mean she wanted to see him end up as an evil pawn. She'd lived that life and it wasn't one she'd condemn an animal to.

As the three girls crested a rather steep rise, the surrounding panorama of the desert below them came into view. Miles and miles of sand stretched out before them, reflecting the orange glow of the rising sun.

"We have to cross that?" Carri asked.

"Yep." Kim answered absently, staring out across the dues.

"It's full of monsters and pitfalls, isn't it?" Karone asked irritably, unimpressed with the pretty panorama.

"Yep." Kim answered again with a heavy sigh.

"Then let's get on with it." Karone muttered, trudging ahead of the other two, down the steep drop and into the sand.

"This gonna be any worse than Phaedos?" Carri asked, watching as Karone simply trudged forward.

"Probably." Kim answered gruffly, pushing past her and down the precipitous knoll.

"That's what I was afraid of." Carri mumbled.

* * *

Emily sighed heavily as she and Dr. Manx left the small infirmary and Manx grinned at her, giving her a sympathetic look. 

"Makes you want to give up neurology in favor of obstetrics doesn't it?" She said in a companionable tone that Emily wasn't sure was sarcastic or not .

"You know," Emily said wearily. "As endearing as the whole scenario was, taking in the whole theological new life in the midst of destruction aspect…I really don't." She said honestly, wrinkling her nose.

Manx chucked in her usual good natured way, eyes twinkling. "Me neither." She confessed. "I'm much happier birthing new zords than humans. It's not nearly as…slushy."

Emily giggled and the two laughed amiably as they passed through to the restricted section of level eight and past the sight of the guards.

"So where are you heading now?" Manx asked.

"To get some sleep." Emily admitted. "I'm wiped out. You?"

"To find out who tipped off the press that the Power Rangers evacuated their own friends and families first before briefing the world governments on what was coming. There's some bad press going on that the Power Rangers didn't tell the world soon enough." She said with a slight frown. "I just don't understand it, there's a been a small, but steady, leak of information somewhere on base for the past few months, but we just can't seem to find where. It's all trivial things, but if little things are getting out, we can't take the risk that bigger things are too."

"I hope you find it." Emily said, then smiled sheepishly as she yawned broadly.

"I will. Go get some rest." She said, grinning and patting Emily's shoulder. She left her at Jason's doorway and continued on to the portal in Billy's lab that would take her back to the Command Center proper.

"Do you think that means it's safe to go back to work in the infirmary?" Cassie asked, watching Manx disappear through the portal doorway.

"I think it does." Malek said absently he sorted the last of Kimberly's coins into the correct containers.

"Should we call Chris?" She asked hesitantly. Malek's partner had wandered into the infirmary, taken one look at the screaming woman on the med-bed, and returned to their ship.

"No, I gave him enough work to sort through for the day. Leave him alone." He answered, tossing the last of the coins into the bin in front of him. The number of viable coins in front of him was staggering. True, most of them would only hold one, maybe two stable morphs, but the fact that Kimberly had been able to create them at all was unbelievable.

Malek knew coins; they were his generation's power source. They had a spirit of their own and the maker had to be able to commune with that spirit, harness that energy. It took more than a novice sorceress to do it successfully time and again.

He knew that Zordon's coin master had created fakes; knew that most of the coins they found were copies. He didn't know who that coin maker was; but now his imagination had him wondering. He didn't think Kimberly was the one creating the fakes, but he couldn't discount that she could possibly be working with the being who did. He could see the progression of her work in the disks in front of him. It wouldn't be long before she could create halfway decent ones.

Cassie watched him regard the boxes of coins with a mischievous grin. Sliding over to him, she placed a caressing hand on each of his shoulders from behind and reached down to softly kiss his neck just under his ear. He stiffened a bit, looked around, then relaxed his shoulders, reaching up from behind to embrace her and return her affections.

"What is it with IG men?" She asked playfully, but with some residual frustration. "You're just fine with cuddling behind closed doors, but never in public." She grumbled playfully as he pulled her around the side of the chair and into his lap.

"IG?" He asked as she flopped down and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Inter Galactic Community." She answered, leaning in to kiss him softly. "Seriously, what's the big deal? It's a society that's way less gender biased than here on Earth, yet you play by dating rules that are right out of the stone ages."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked indignantly, but he was grinning at her, eyes twinkling.

"It means that we wasted five hours last night rolling around on my bed doing everything but what we should have been doing." She complained. Then leaned in to gently bite his ear lobe and nuzzle the space in-between his shoulder and ear. The effect on him was as obvious as it had been the night before and he growled soft and low, turning to capture her mouth firmly with his own.

Malek had spent far too many years on the outer rim of the civilized universe to be considered a true man of his culture. If he was, he wouldn't even consider participating in her form of oral kissing; considered the most base and degrading of acts on most human worlds. The mouth was a dirty, bacteria filled orifice, yet, he enjoyed the sensual caressing it gave as much as she did and was completely thrilled by her enthusiasm and willingness to participate in the different forms of loving it gave.

He understood her question, he just wasn't sure how to answer it. His resistance the night before had been more because of his age and past experiences than any moral qualms; although the morality restrictions had worked as a convenient excuse.

Malek was far older than Cassie realized. The type of intense passion they shared was completely enthralling, but he was by far more able to understand the social and emotional ramifications of quickly consummating the relationship than she was. She was young and, although she'd matured greatly in the years of their separation, she still harbored the impatience of youth. She was less willing to take into consideration the after effects of their union while his life experiences screamed through the passion that they needed to exercise caution before they both ended up hurt or disappointed.

Despite the obvious telepathic connection that had existed between them from the beginning, they were virtually strangers. Cassie could easily wake up several days or weeks from now and realize that he was not the romantic figure she'd made him out to be, but a real live, living and breathing, male of his culture; with many very real human faults. He didn't want her disappointed; regretful of a hasty decision made in the heat of passion. At the same time, his own emotions found her equally intoxicating, and his own desire to consummate the match equaled hers. That wasn't quite true, he admitted to himself; he wanted her far more than she wanted him. She had no idea how much he wanted her, but he would play the caution card as long as he possibly could; which, he realized as he eagerly returned her kisses, might not be all that long.

The sound of footsteps and conversation entering the lab area, however, put a quick end to any rising ardor on his part. Malek broke the lock he had claimed on her mouth and pushed her swiftly from his lap, scooting the chair a little closer under the countertop to hide the obvious effects his young darling had inflicted on him physically.

Cassie, surprised and hurt by the rebuff, shot an angry and frustrated look at the intruders as they resumed their work on the other side of the lab and fell heavily into the chair next to Malek with a huge, frustrated pout. The sight she made was too endearing for words and he chuckled softly.

"I don't get it." Cassie sulked, sliding down into the chair in a very unladylike manner.

"It's a matter of honor Cassie." He responded softly, but she simply huffed again and wouldn't meet his eyes, pouting like a five year old.

"I don't subscribe to that particular version of honor." She grumbled. "If I don't feel you're dishonoring me, then what's the big deal?"

"You're a Power Ranger little girl." Malek continued, giving her a placating look. "And not just any Ranger, from a famous team trained by Dimetria, my contemporary and my friend. If I ignore your rank and lower you to the status of my mistress, I dishonor not only you, but your zordmaster as well. A zordmaster's Rangers are like his or her own children, they tend to be extremely protective of them. You may not care about the ramifications of that sort of scandal, but I assure you, Dimetria will."

"I haven't seen or spoken with Dimetria in over eight years." Cassie pouted, finger absently tracing out invisible designs on the counter. "I doubt she even remembers me."

"Oh I'm very sure she does." He chuckled, earning himself a scowl from her direction. "And I'm very sure she'd scream bloody murder and very publicly demand I instantly marry you; drawing all eyes upon us and the rules we had broken. It's better by far that you take a deep breath sweeting. Let us get to know the real people behind the fantasies we've both harbored about the other. Then we can make an informed choice, honestly know what we're getting into." He cajoled, but she sniffed again and rolled her eyes at him. "I can't stay here Cassie." He continued. "As soon as this conflict is over I have to return to deep space. If we consummate this match, you'd be forced to leave all your friends and family behind. Is it worth that? To take that massive a blind leap for a virtual stranger?"

"And if we don't survive the conflict?" Cassie asked bitterly, raising angry eyes to his. "If tomorrow we're both dead and we've wasted a second chance for happiness? Do you honestly think we'll get a third?"

Malek regarded her steadily for several long seconds. He was fairly certain they'd survive. He knew now how to survive the towers; something he hadn't known in time to save his wife and children all those long years before. He would get them out… or die trying. Something in that thought made him pause.

She wanted him, the most beautiful little girl he'd ever known… and he wanted her; regardless of the consequences. He had loved his wife with the same youthful exuberance she now directed at him, had mourned her loss bitterly for years, yet still, those long buried emotions paled in consideration to the feeling he felt toward the girl in front of him.

He wanted her like nothing he'd ever desired before. If she demanded tomorrow he give up the quest that had consumed his life for eons, he'd do it. He'd happily stay on this backwater planet for her; giving up all that had held importance in his life. He wondered then at the extent of her feelings back toward him; if she would do the same.

"I cannot stay here, and I will not leave you as a borrowed mistress behind me. You would have to come with me." He began seriously. "Are you willing to leave your world so easily Cassie? To follow me on blind faith that I'm the man you think I am; dispense with the world and culture you were born to and simply take up mine?" He asked softly.

"Yes." She answered instantly, eyes equally serious, and he realized she meant it. "Do you honestly think I have any intention of allowing you to leave me behind again?" She asked in return. "That I haven't already considered what I'd have to do to keep you in my life?"

Malek's heart thudded in his chest as his light grey eyes locked on the soft young brown ones that threatened to drown him with their intensity. They were of the same mind, he realized, although how they could be was beyond him. Nothing in his long experience prepared him for the emotions that assaulted him in that moment. She loved him, he realized; really and truly loved him. What was more, he eagerly returned that love. How that could be possible was logically beyond him, they were virtually strangers, but the emotion was there; strong and true.

"I cannot make you a mistress," He said seriously, words softly hoarse from the emotion constricting his throat. "But I would be greatly honored to take you as a wife." He added tentatively, as if afraid of her answer. He had never uttered those words before and they felt as if they tumbled out yet stuck on his tongue all at once. His previous wife had been chosen for him. Although he had already known and loved her dearly, the union itself had been arranged by their parents. This time, he was asking for himself and, in the process, leaving himself very open and vulnerable to her censure.

She smiled softly and slid from her chair, kneeling beside him and placing her hands gently on his arm. "Wife…mistress…lover…" She whispered softly. "Either way, I'm never letting you out of my sight again. I'll go wherever you do Malek. My life, my home … I have always wanted that to be with you. Long before I saw your face, I was willing to follow you anywhere. My heart has always been yours. Don't you know that?" She asked earnestly.

Malek slowly slid the chair back from the countertop, standing up and helping her to stand too. Wordlessly, his arms found their way possessively around her waist and his lips descended upon hers; claiming her with an enthusiasm he could scarcely believe. When at last they parted, bodies still pressed together, he silently lead her back to her small room.

* * *

As the alternate Kim slowly regained consciousness, she thought for a moment she must have been sleepwalking and woken up in front of a mirror; then the pain set in. She was tied roughly to a set of bamboo poles and surrounded by primitively dressed natives who were wearing comically odd looking face paint. Her neck hurt where it had been hanging off to one side, her back hurt from the poles, and her wrists and ankles were numb from lack of circulation. The face in front of her was no reflection. It was pasty white, cold …and evil. The eyes were the red glowing orbs of her nightmares. 

"Where is K?" Kemora hissed angrily. She had given the idiotic natives one simple task; wait for the appearance of the one that looked like her and capture her with the potion and special netting she'd provided that would drain her powers. What they had brought looked like K, but on closer inspection was nothing more than a human alternate.

She wanted to know what kind of game K was playing with her. Was the girl merely a distraction, or was she booby-trapped somehow to destroy her. It seemed unfathomable that K, with all her sticky goodness and desire to protect the little innocents, should sacrifice an alternate just to destroy her, but she wouldn't put it past Thomas to do so.

The alternate Kim's jaw and eyes strengthened determinedly and she refused to answer; something that pleased Kemora to no end. There was nothing worse than a mealy mouthed Kimberly; she preferred killing the ones that had a little spunk in them.

Her first choice was to slowly disembowel the little girl in front of her, but her mind was working too logically for that. Instead, she smiled evilly, eyes glowing brightly. Raising her hand, palm flat, a small red vile appeared. Grabbing the girl roughly by the hair, she ripped the her head back and forced the contents of the vile down her throat. To the alternate's horror, she began talking almost immediately; telling the demon in excruciating detail everything that had happened since K had visited her world.

"This is just too precious for words." Kemora giggled menacingly, trying to fully comprehend the ramifications of what she'd just heard. K wasn't coming herself? Unfathomable. She was staying on her world to deal with Teeg instead of guarding the pit? Absurd. "It has to be the most stupid miscalculation of the century." She crowed giddily. "To send little J here…with an alternate Kimberly… and a Turbo team!" Kemora paused here, scowling at the girl in front of her. It was the Turbo team who had betrayed her. She despised the little auto freaks more than any other team in the universe. "She's completely lost her sanity." She added, almost incredulously.

Kemora paused again, eyes circling the thick vegetation in front of her as if trying to find some sort of trickery, some sort of plot or angle she hadn't considered, then threw her head back and laughed evilly for several long seconds before turning back to the restrained girl in front of her. There was something familiar about the morphanological resonance of this particular alternate, but she couldn't quite pin down what. She was an older Kimberly, well out of her teens, but not quite thirty… and, best of all, the power resonated temptingly within her.

Kemora's red glowing eyes devoured the girl's body hungrily. It was too good for words. One miscalculation on K's part had all but handed complete and total victory to her.

She moved forward and laid her hands on the girl, stroking the alternate Kim's body sensually and coveting every inch of it; it would do more than nicely. The girl twisted and tried to break away from the contact, but the demon's eyes gleamed at her resistance and she continued the molestation with more energy; consuming the girl's reaction with sadistic glee. Pressing her artificial shell against the girl's warm, living one, she leaned her mouth into her ear seductively and whispered, "This artificial shell Teeg's encapsulated me in has served its purpose nicely, but to regain all my powers I need a living, breathing, one; yours will do quite nicely."

"Human bodies wear out." The alternate managed, turning her head and grimacing as the demons hands continued to wander across her frame possessively; like a lover's. "You'll just be back to where you were before."

Again Kemora laughed, her cold, hard hand reaching up to turn the girl's head back to face her. "Foolish child." She hissed, then, crooning to her sweetly, added. "We're on Muirantias darling…and I'm just about to reclaim the pit that spawned me. We'll enter it together," She said breathlessly, as if in the throes of passion. "Just you and that delicious little body of yours and me in this ridiculous silicone shell. It'll be over in seconds." She whispered, kissing the girl's tightly closed warm lips with her cold, artificial ones. "Then you will be dead and I will have all the power in the universe at my disposal once again… to slaughter the rest of your pathetic little breed."

* * *

The three girls cautiously moved through the vacant stone hallway and towards the large dais-like structure; all breathing heavily. Crossing the desert with all its strange monsters, pitfalls, and sand storms had been the easy part. Climbing up and breaking into Primus's fortress had been all but impossible. They'd had to pull all their strength and fortitude together and work as one, yet they were battered, bruised, and on their last legs. 

They moved easily now through the torch lit stone corridor, more unnerved by the absolute quiet and lack of traps and security measures than the eerie shadows. They moved forward easily, still watchful, still wary, all of them obviously limping and trying hard not to show it.

Surrounding the dais was a large silk-like antique screen which looked as it if would have been more at home in a museum of Chinese antiquities rather than a stone tomb. It was framed with ornately carved red colored wood and stood perhaps thirty feet tall. Three square sections blocked off the alter behind it in a delicate arc; obviously meant for decoration rather than protection. On each of the screens were delicate watercolor cartoon images, very reminiscent of ancient water color drawings on rice paper.

Lit from behind, the screen showed tranquil scenes of birds, flowers, and pagodas. Only as the girls drew closer did they realize that the pastoral scenes were not fixed at all, but slowly blurring and moving in a soft, dream-like fashion. An image would come into view, be joined by others then blur softy into other objects as if water had been sprinkled across them and changed them into something else.

As they came to a stop in front of it, a large drawing of an ancient Chinese man blurred into focus on the center screen, but unlike the other drawings, which simply faded in and out, this one moved, breathed, and seemed very much alive. Like the drawings, his movements where blurred. He was sitting in a meditative pose and the slightest of his movements were like the wind blowing on an image made of sand. He was there, then would dissolve, only to reform again a few seconds later. The caricature was nearly completely bald, but long white strands of hair floated outward from the base of his head and down the sides of his robes. A long thin mustache also dropped from either side of his his nose to curl sedately around his sandaled feet.

"Primus." Kim said evenly, giving the figure a slight bow, but keeping her eyes focused upward warily. She had heard Thomas's descriptions of the being often enough to know who they were facing, but she wasn't quite ready to relax her guard just yet. Given the other tests they'd been challenged with, it was simply too good to be true that they were finished with them now.

"Well done daughter of Maligore." The figure announced serenely from above them.

"I am the daughter of Zordon." Kim said firmly. "If you choose to deny me that title, then I am simply a Phaedosian warrior; a daughter of Phaedos."

The figure regarded her blankly through its thin, slanted eyes for so long that the others shifted uncomfortably. They had come too far for Kim to blow things over an over-emotional sensitivity.

"As you wish." The figure finally responded tranquilly. "But it matters not. We are who we are."

Again, a silence ensued and the girls waited. If Carri and Karone wanted to know why Kim didn't demand the Triad crystal, or even ask for it, they remained quiet. Kim, for her part, simply waited. She knew that Primus knew why they had come; the next move was his.

As she watched the thin, watercolor figure sit tranquilly upon his silkscreen, she felt her eyes blur along with the soft antique colors. Something wasn't quite right about the image. Zordon had been a semi-translucent figure in his Power Tube, floating, bobbing, very much real, but not real at all. She was used to this kind of an image, a representation of ancient power more for the conceptualization of the narrow minded than the being itself. Something about that stray thought struck a chord and she analyzed it further as they waited.

Although she may deny her birthright as the demon Maligore's spawn, it didn't mean she was unwilling to use that power. Jason had the ability to see the heat signatures of the living, she the electromagnetic energy of those still present, but not necessarily still mortal. As her vision blurred, the antique screen melted away to the periphery of her sight. There, in the muted depths behind the screen she found it.

Being human, raised in a human world, the sight was terrifying. Everything about the smoky outline of the creature screamed monster. The hideous outline of its head was something like a macabre nightmare. Oversized, it was like a floating fetus. The mouth bore no resemblance to anything human, it was reptilian and fanged. Tiny arms poked uselessly at its sides with clawed fingers that floated in their own eerie dance. The torso and hind legs were also reptilian, ending in a tail that swished patiently back and forth like a cat. Only the eyes, cold and reptilian, remained in sharp contrast to the rest of him. Everything about the creature screamed evil and yet, the force that resonated from within was every bit as tranquil as her former master.

Just as she had in Zordon's Power Chamber, she felt a calm and gentle strength surround her; the feeling of great power and eons of lifetimes devoted to good. There was great wisdom in this creature and, in stark contrast to the physical echo of it mortal life, this was a creature devoted to the deep powers of good; the likes of wich she had only just begun to scratch the surface of understanding.

This was a creature whom Zordon himself, in his youth, had sought out for guidance and Kim was suddenly very aware now of why the original coins contained the power of the ancient dinosaurs rather than the more modern animals that Dulcea and Ninjor favored.

The creature became aware of her insight and reared back, roaring and growling with fangs barred in such ferocity that she should, by all rights, have been terrified, but she remained still; unimpressed with a display that was out of character with the being she felt rather than saw. Karone and Carri started the rumble of the growl barreling through the stone corridors, but when Kim remained still and unconcerned, they stood their ground and continued to wait with her.

Kim felt her vision recede swiftly, as if a soft, gauzy curtain had been drawn over it, but not before witnessing the curious glance of the floating creature behind the screen. Once again, Kim's vision focused on the caricature of the old wise man in front of her, but this time, the old man's eyes appeared to open a little wider and she could clearly see the reptilian reflection of the eyes of the creature beyond the screen.

"Seek the crystal," The old man said quietly, figure blurring as he moved yet the eyes remaining clear and precise, "And you must first seek yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carri asked in a side voice to Kim.

In answer, the stone hallway behind them began to scrape and groan, dividing itself into three passageways. As one, each lit from within with a bright blue light that made the girls squint.

"Where do the corridors lead?" Karone asked, afraid she'd actually get an answer.

"To nowhere…and all places." Primus answered. "They are empty of all but what you bring with you."

"I thought we were finished with the questing part." Carri said, blinking and rubbing her eyes at the intense light.

"That was the quest to find Primus. The quest to find the Triad crystal is just starting." Kim answered.

"Great…" Carri drolled. "That was just what I wanted to hear."

"Let's just get this over with and get back." Karone said. It was meant to be a curt remark, but both girls could hear the uncertainly in her voice. Still, her shoulders were straight back and she marched confidently into the light, down the hall, and disappeared. As she continued down the long passageway, the stones again began to scrape against one another, the passage narrowed, and finally merged with the wall next to it; leaving only two passageways.

"Guess I'm next." Carri said blandly. She turned and gave Kim and undeterminable look, then sighed deeply and strode forward as she'd seen Karone do. Once again, the stones scraped together, leaving only one passageway.

Kim stared at the brightly lit hall in front of her thinking of all that could lay before her and all that was waiting for her upon her return. There was no guarantee that she'd survive either what lay down that corridor, what awaited her on Earth, or the Guardians once they learned the fate of Netau. Put in that perspective, it really didn't matter what she faced beyond that bright light. It was like a video game that the player knew she was losing; all she had to do was rack up as many points as she could, get as much done as possible, before it was over.

"Why the hesitation?" Primus's voice echoed softly behind her. "You are not afraid, surely you don't doubt yourself."

Kim turned and faced the caricature, noticing as she did so that the reptilian eyes were now sharply in focus and regarding her in a calculating manner. She stepped forward and approached it, stopping just a few inches from the screen. As she did so, the caricature grew smaller until it was merely life sized and eye to eye with her. Slowly, she drew forth the containment orb in which she'd encased Netau's spirit.

"And what do we have here?" The figure asked curiously.

"Netau." Kim said without emotion. "I killed him."

"You show no remorse for your actions." The figure responded.

"I feel no remorse in destroying an evil, corrupted figure who thought nothing of destroying an entire world…an entire timeline…simply for his own twisted revenge." She spat bitterly.

"Strong words." The figure murmured, stroking one side of his long mustache with blurred, watercolor motions.

"The proof is within the orb; by his own confession." Kim said blandly, still holding out the sphere.

"He confessed, yet you still showed him no mercy?"

"Yes." Kim answered curtly, aware that she had broken yet another dimensional law. She was unrepentant though. Netau had been trying to kill her long before she was even aware of his existence. There had been no guarantee, if she had showed him mercy and let him out of the orb, that he wouldn't instantly turn on her; kill her and destroy the evidence of his guilt. Besides, although she wasn't proud of it, his death had given her a great deal of satisfaction for all the pain and suffering he'd caused her and her love ones.

"And you would leave the proof of his demise here? It could easily be used against you. Certainly, it would be better to conceal such guilt, to allow Netau's fate to remain uncertain?"

"You said the hallway is empty of everything except what I take with me." Kim said evenly. "I'd rather not take something that nasty along."

To her surprise, the caricature reached out a filmy, watercolor hand and retrieved the orb from her own, lifting it in a blurred motion toward the sharp eyes.

"You may go." Primus said, lowering the orb and regarding her curiously.

Kim nodded, half in acknowledgement and half out of respect for the old master in front of her. "We are what we are." She said softly, meeting the sharp reptilian eyes squarely. She then turned and marched down the last remaining corridor.

* * *

"We're getting closer." Goldar growled softly, motioning for Bulk and Skull to move back into the shadows and allow yet another set of rubber looking monsters to pass them in the hallways. "Once we're inside, we'll have to move quickly. I can dampen the security system, but if it goes off, we're enemies again. I won't risk exposure. You'll be on your own to get back out." 

Bulk and Skull nodded vigorously, not really sure what he was talking about, but not really sure they should ask either. They had been moving quickly and stealthily through the foggy passageways and both were hopelessly lost. They had a device that Karone had given them that would transport them back to the base as soon as they collected whatever it was they were supposed to collect, but she'd warned them that it might not work deep within the bowels of the palace and they might have to fight their way back out to the fringes. How they were going to do that, neither of them knew, but the Power Rangers always managed to win the day and they were Power Rangers now. That meant they'd get out safely they assured one another…right?

Goldar cautiously motioned them forward once again and they crept silently along the winding passageways until the gold clad warrior in front of them came to an abrupt stop in front of a doorway and turned on them.

"Tell Kimberly I want double." He growled menacingly and both Bulk and Skull jumped back and nodded vigorously again. "I had better receive it." He growled again, raising a metal clad finger at the pair. "Or I'll know where to find you. I was killing Rangers before your originating ancestors were out of training pants. Remember that." He emphasized, raising his sword slightly and growling.

"Ss..ss..sure thing." Bulk answered tentatively and Skull giggled nervously behind him.

Goldar nodded and turned his head back and forth along the passageway, searching for anything that might expose them. He pulled what looked like a handful of marbles from a pouch at his waist and tossed one through the doorway. Waiting a few seconds, he cautiously stepped forward, then repeated the process several times at each doorway they encountered. By the tenth marble, both Bulk and Skull had lost a little of their fear and were actually beginning to get a little impatient at the game the monster warrior seemed to be playing, but then he stopped and turned to them again, causing Bulk to stop short and Skull to run into him roughly from behind.

"This is it." Goldar rumbled softly. "Remember, if the alarms trigger, I won't be here when you return. You'll have to find your own way out."

"You're not coming in there with us?" Skull asked, only to be shushed by the monkey faced creature.

"I have no death wish pink Ranger." He hissed.

"Hey," Skull rebutted indignantly, but more quietly than before. "I am not a pink Ranger. I'm the Fabulous Dancing Flamingo Ranger." He insisted dramatically, striking a flamingo dancer's pose and stomping his feet in imitation of a dance. "And he..." He grabbed Bulk's arm and shook him. "Is the magnificent Spawning Salmon Ranger."

"I never agreed to that name." Bulk hissed shaking himself free of his friend in annoyance.

"Yes…well…" Goldar growled, red glowing eyes taking the scene in cautiously. "My apologies." He said grudgingly. Just what kind of Rangers Kimberly had sent him, he wasn't sure. They were obviously either completely inexperienced or complete morons. He looked around the hallways again for any sign that the demonstration had been seen or heard. Perhaps he should have demanded triple his pay for this little excursion. "Once the crystal activates, you will have less than ten Earth minutes to secure your objective and exit the chamber. Move as swiftly as possible towards the outer rim of the palace and transport back to Earth as quickly as possible."

"Right." Bulk and Skull said together. "Just… what is our objective?"

"You mean you were sent here without knowing?" Goldar asked incredulously.

"Karone figured if we got caught, it would be better if we didn't know." Skull offered and Bulk nodded.

"Right…" Goldar answered slowly, staring at them incredulously, and nodding his head slowly in comprehension. They were idiots… and Kimberly knew it; Power help him. Maybe he should leave them on their own anyway, even if they didn't manage to trip the alarms. The thought was appealing, then the thought of his payment contradicted the impulse. "Inside." He growled, jerking his head toward the archway, "Is Rita's private chamber. She's got something very valuable to the Rangers in there…a little yellow bird Tommy will definitely want back…if you know what I mean." Goldar growled.

"Right..." Bulk said nodding his head in sync with Goldar's. "Uh, sure. We…we understand, don't we Skull." He added unconvincingly.

"Right…" Goldar growled, nodding slowly a little more. The two were clueless. It never dawned on him that there could be Rangers out there that were just a stupid as some of the monsters he worked with in the palace, but he supposed everything in the universe had a balance. It was just frustrating beyond belief that he couldn't have gone up against this duo in front of him instead of Tommy and Jason; then maybe his life would have turned out a little better. He raised a blue marble and showed it to them, then tossed it into the chamber before them. It hit the stone floor with a clinking sound and continued to roll forward. "Go." He told the duo sharply. "And may the Power protect you…and your quarry." He added.

"Yeah…uhm…you too." Bulk said cautiously, looking through the archway and into the gloomy chamber beyond. The two hesitated for a moment, then crept forward, leaving the gold clad warrior behind them. Once inside, the lights of the room seemed to illuminate by themselves, bringing both men up short.

"Just what is it we're supposed to grab in here Bulkie?" Skull asked nervously as he surveyed the room. There were all kinds of books littered about and copious jars of strange creatures floating in liquid.

"Karone said it'd be obvious." Bulk returned, leaning down and grimacing at the contents of one and then another smelly jar. A low moan from the next room brought both men up short again and Skull clung to Bulk's frame as the two edged forward in a stiff shuffle to investigate.

On the other side of a small archway was a large wheel, like the kind you'd see at a circus with a guy throwing knives at it, complete with a young woman strapped to it. Her blond head hung limply between her shoulders and flopped from side to side as the wheel spun slowly around. With each turn of the wheel, a tiny round, yellow ball of energy flowed from her and into a glowing yellow crystal on the work table. Their fears forgotten, they moved forward to investigate a little further. They didn't know her, but she didn't exactly look like she belonged on a spinning wheel in the middle of a witch's laboratory.

"Do you think she's what we're supposed to bring back?" Skull asked cautiously.

"You see anything else in this creepy place that looks like it might belong on Earth?" Bulk asked.

"Not really." Skull said, "But didn't Goldar say we're supposed to look for Tommy's yellow bird?" He asked, looking again around the large room. "Hey look!" He said in a bright voice, the girl forgotten as he strode over to a side table. "It's a crystal ball!"

"Oh for crying out loud." Bulk fumed, slapping his hand over his helmet visor where his face might have been. "Will you please focus."

"Gina would love this thing." Skull said, picking the glowing orb up off its ornate stand and holding it up to his visor. "She's totally into these kinda things."

"Why am I not surprised." Bulk moaned. He shook his head and took several deep breaths. Skull had only been married a few months and his wife was one of the strangest females he'd ever encountered. They'd met in Vegas, where Skull had supposedly been helping a friend with some music and married not more than two days later. Claiming to originate just up the coast in a town named Briarwood, she gave Bulk the creeps and his wife Melanie swore she had to be some sort of witch; but Skull seemed completely happy with her. "Just…help me figure out how to get her down, ok?" Bulk said over-patiently.

"Yeah…sure." Skull said, grabbing what looked like a small burlap bag and stuffing the glowing crystal ball inside it. Tying it to his belt, he loped forward and began examining the restraints holding the girl to the wheel.

His head followed the straps around, causing him to squat down, then rise up as the wheel turned. After several cycles of this, Bulk swore something under his breath and looked around for a switch to stop the wheel. Eventually, he found what looked like a small control panel and began pressing buttons on it until the wheel stopped. Within a matter of seconds, the restraints holding the girl up disappeared, she collapsed to the floor, and the alarms went off.

At first, Bulk and Skull panicked, rushing around and slamming into the contents of the room as well as each other, but then they remembered they were Power Rangers. Bending down, Bulk picked the girl up off the floor in one easy swoop, tossed her over his shoulder, threw the yellow crystal to Skull, and took off at a run out of the room. Skull looked curiously at the rough yellow crystal for a few seconds, then realized Bulk was leaving him, so he stuffed it in the bag with the glowing ball and charged after him.

True to his word, Goldar had left them at the first sound of the alarm, so they took off at a run in what they hoped was the right direction. It didn't take long for the monster guards of the palace to intercept them. In an almost keystone cop kind of dance routine, the monsters chased then in one direction, then another, then back the way they came. Finally, completely lost, they stumbled into the now deserted main throne room with its view of the ensnared Earth below.

"Bulkie!" Skull squealed in a high pitched voice. "A window! A window! See if that thing can get a signal now!"

"I hope this works…" Bulk muttered, clearly out of breath from running.

Like a really bad B movie from the fifties, a various array of very scary monsters seemed to close in from all sides, causing them both to panic again. Finally managing to release the transporter device from his belt, Bulk hit the escape button. Within seconds, they and the girl had disappeared from sight in a flash of yellow, pink, and grey light. The monsters simply froze and dropped their outstretched arms, looking at one another in confusion.

"Do you think, maybe, we should report this?" A mummy like monster asked as he scratched his bandaged head.

"Not unless we all want to get vaporized for failing." A blue, banana peel creature piped up. "Anyone see if they took more than the girl with them?"

"I didn't see anything." A spider replied, backing away from the group. "Nope, not a thing. Everything's been quiet all day."

"Alright people." The mummy shouted to the others, waving his hands in a downward motion. "Shows over. Unless you want to get vaporized for failing Lord Zedd in his absence, I suggest we all just forget the whole thing whole thing ever happened."

There was a bit of grumbling and moaning as the monsters filed out, but all seemed to be in general agreement. In the main control room, Goldar shook his head slowly back and forth in disgust. Wiping the security cameras of their memories, he turned and shuffled casually down the deserted hall.

It certainly wasn't like the old days. He'd be glad when the whole thing was over and he could go back to the pier on the Pacific beach he called home. With Kimberly's promised payment, life would be very good for a very long time. Perhaps if Rita and her husband had any kind of truly evil potential he'd feel differently, but he doubted it. Being a bad guy under this new Lord Zedd sucked. He wanted to go home.

* * *

The bright light of the hallway dissolved into a warm, almost blinding light. Kim felt sleepy, but also incredibly content and rested. She didn't want to move. She was warm and comfortable and a feeling of peace that she hadn't felt in eons floated around her. Almost cautiously, she wondered if she was dead. That would certainly explain things. The bright light behind her closed lids became almost uncomfortably warm and she moaned, turning her head away from it and into a soft furry object. 

Frowning, at the synthetic, tickly feel of the substance, she opened her eyes and came face to face with a white teddy bear. Her frown deepened and she bolted upright, looking around in a combination of amazement and horror at her old bedroom.

"What the hell?" She breathed. How in the universe had she gotten back here? Her mind whirled. It was entirely possible that she'd been hurt and transported herself back in time. It had happened before and she'd had to scramble to avoid coming face to face with her younger self. Somehow, it didn't feel that way though.

Stretching out her senses, she realized with a gulp of panic that her Muirantian powers were gone. She bolted from the bed, tossing the covers haphazardly on the floor, and pulled open the pink floral curtains. The view out her window was exactly as it had been. The cars in the neighbor's drive were the exact same models they'd been more than ten years ago.

"Holy shit." She swore, hands flying first to her mouth, then to the blousy, Laura Ashley nightgown. She hadn't worn that type of nightgown since she was a teenager. Moving cautiously to the frilly pink dressing table, she sat and stared at herself in the mirror. The reflection staring back at her was thin, far thinner than she had remembered, but with a rounding of baby fat softening the young face. She was a teenager…a very young teenager. "How…" She breathed, fingers tracing the young skin of her face.

"Oh good." Her mother's voice chimed from behind her. "You're up."

Kim swung around and faced her mother, but it was a much younger version of her mother. Her hairstyle was hopelessly out of date; all puffy with a really bad perm.

"Tommy's called for you three times already." Her mother said in an overly patient tone. "You'd think he'd realize by now that you're rarely up before one on a Saturday." She quipped, then stared back at her daughter. "Are you alright sweetie?" She asked. "You look a little pale."

"Fine…" Kim squeaked, amazed at the young tone she heard. "I…had a really weird dream."

"Well, get dressed." Her mother answered. "And call your boyfriend."

"I will." Kim said with a hesitant smile.

"Kimberly honey…" He mom began. "Last night at the lake…" Her mother paused and looked uncertain about what she wanted to say. "Tommy didn't…well, he didn't push you or anything did he? Maybe, put a little pressure on you to do more than you felt comfortable with?"

Kim nearly fell off her chair. If she was back in the time period she thought she was, it wasn't Tommy putting the pressure on the sexual side of their relationship. More than one late night at the lake the two would sneak off and it'd be him fending her enthusiasm off; although, she had to admit, he never protested all that much.

"No mom." Kim answered it what she hoped was an assuring tone. "Tommy's really good about stopping when I tell him." She added, squelching as best she could a dry remark about it being her that never wanted to stop anytime he tried to slow down.

"You're sure?" Her mom asked, gauging her with a look Kim remembered all too well. "That wouldn't be why you seem a little upset this morning?"

"No mom." Kim said with absolute confidence. "Believe me, this has nothing whatsoever to do with sex."

Her mother's eyes widened at the blunt tone in her voice, but she nodded as if satisfied. "I suppose there are strange enough things happening in Angel Grove these days to give you bad dreams." She murmured and Kim nodded at her."Well, if you're sure." She pressed.

"I am." Kim answered with a grin.

"Then get dressed before that boyfriend of yours shows up at our doorstep." Her mother advised, turning and moving out the open door. She turned back and seemed as if she'd ask something else, then simply smiled again and shut the door behind her.

Kim leaned her elbow back on the dressing table and chuckled. Something was definitely wrong. She didn't know how she'd gotten where she was, but she had to find a way home and fast. Something about that thought made her sit up a little straighter. She had to get home, the urgency behind that thought was more than intense, but why? She frowned and racked her brain as her eyes roamed around the eerily familiar walls of her old bedroom.

Why? She thought again. There was more to that thought then simply returning to her timeline and her Tommy, she just couldn't put her finger on it. Slowly, her eyes narrowed in on a small stuffed tiger sitting on a shelf. Her grandfather had given her that tiger, yet it was associated with another memory that was just out of her comprehension. She picked the little tiger up and fingered it's worn fur, then put it back on the shelf. Teeg. Teeg had invaded her world and she had left to find a power source that would save it. She had to get back, but without her Muirantian powers boosting her innate time abilities, she wasn't sure how that was going to happen.

Turning, she opened the doors to her large, overly stuffed closet. First thing first, she needed to get dressed and find Zordon. He should still be alive in this time zone and even if she had somehow superimposed herself over an alternate Kimberly, he should have a pretty good idea how to get her back to normal and back to her own time.

* * *

Karone stared at herself in the reflective surface of the wall, hardly daring to believe what she saw there. The purple hair, the layers of metallic jewelry, the power staff… all was exactly as it had been. She could feel the evil resonance coursing through the stale, filtered air around her. This wasn't right. She had given up this life eons ago. 

Pure, cold power drifted down her arm from the staff. It felt soooo good. It felt like home…but she had renounced this life, hadn't she? Given it up for a life of good with her brother; for Zane.

"My queen." An all too familiar voice said behind her and she turned with a start to see Darkonda kneel before her. "All is ready, Dark Specter awaits your report."

"I will be with you shortly." She crooned in return. Her voice sounded young, high and overly confident. Though she would never admit it, she had missed Darkonda. For all his evil devotion, he had loved her as his own child and she had loved him as her only parent.

"As you wish." Darkonda returned, crossing his arm across his chest. Rising, he deferentially backed away.

Karone turned again and stared at her reflection in the dark surface. What the hell was going on?

* * *

Carri woke to a sick feeling in her stomach. She was going to vomit. Moaning, she turned her head back into the pillow and gulped the feeling away. She rarely, if ever, drank to excess; she simply hated the feeling of it. For some reason though, she'd broken her self-imposed restrictions. The room spun around her and dry heaves threatened to expel more than bile and stale air in her mouth. Her stomach heaved again and she realized she seriously needed to get herself into the bathroom. 

Propelling herself off the bed, she flew upwards, and directly into a wall instead of her bathroom. She didn't have much time to puzzle over her situation, she had to find the toilet; fast. Her head spun and she shook it in an effort to clear the fog, only to realize too late that was only going to accelerate the inevitable. Hands thrown out in front of her, she raced along the wall, barely noticing the pale satin paper and rows of photographs. She was in one of her mother's houses, realized, but that didn't solve the immediate problem ahead of her.

The wall ended in a corner and she thrust herself around it, only to stumble full force into a wall of clothing. She turned and thrust herself in the other direction, and this time thankfully was met by cold marble tiles under her feet and the familiar gilt of one of her mother's over the top fantasy bathroom designs. Unable to control the wrenching any longer, she dove to the floor and threw herself over the rim of something porcelain, only to discover after the last of the heaves had subsided that she'd thrown up in the bidet.

"Good morning Mrs. Meyers." A voice behind said brightly.

"What did you just call me?" Carri asked, turning to the neatly dressed woman behind her. At least, that's what she thought she said. Her lips felt like they had marbles in them.

Grabbing a towel off the wall, she wiped her mouth and face, grimacing as the cloth slid across the numb area where her mouth should have been. She stood, or rather pulled herself up to the countertop, and screamed.

She was blonde. Not just any shade of blonde; platinum blond. She reached up to touch the fried mess of straw-like hair shooting out from her head and nearly screamed again. The hand and arm connected to it were painfully thin, fingers looking far more like claws, with long, massive, artistically decorated artificial nails. Every finger was decorated with at least one, and sometimes two or three, bejeweled rings and on her tiny wrist, a large diamond Rolex was nearly obscured by massive bracelets of gold, diamonds, and other colored stones. As she held her arm up closer, the bracelets clinked downward to expose overly tanned skin.

Staring back into the mirror with impossibly wide dark eyes, she realized the problem with her lips; they were massive. It looked like she'd been stung by half a dozen bees. The skin around her mouth protruded outward and was rock hard. Tentatively, she pressed on it, but couldn't feel a thing.

"Are you happy with the collagen injections this time or should I book another session with Dr. Atwalk?" The voice chirped happily behind her.

Carri turned a horrified face to the woman. She was smartly dressed, clutching a pink plastic clipboard, and offered her a bright, overly perky smile.

"Where the hell am I?" Carri asked, or rather, mumbled through her artificially full lips.

"You're in the South Beach penthouse Mrs. Meyers. You and Mr. Meyers flew in last night from New York." She said patiently, then smiled again. Carri's look must have been one of pure horror, because the woman gave her a slightly patronizing, yet completely sympathetic look and added, "Would you like a morning cocktail?"

Carri started to respond, but the towel had snagged on her overly large diamond necklace, drawing attention to something she hadn't yet noticed; her breasts were massive. Grapefruits were too small a comparison, these had to be at least the size of well grown honey-dew melons. As she yanked the towel away from the cascade of stones, her eyes settled on her cleavage line. Turning again to face the mirror, she finally saw the complete picture.

Her long platinum hair twisted messily around her, snagging in places where it had twisted up in the massive amounts of jewelry she'd worn to bed. Her skin looked like it had been both artificially tanned and yet, at the same time, leathery enough to have been baked in a tanning bed for several years. She was skeletally thin, the bones of her arms clinging helplessly to the tight skin. Two massive, hard and un-moving, bowling balls protruded from her chest, barely concealed by the scanty negligee she was wearing and her lips were simply ludicrous. She looked exactly like the girls at her reunion.

"Mrs. Meyers?" The woman asked again tentatively. "Do you need your medicine?"

Carri turned a look on the poor woman that was obviously horrifying to her. Her overly perky and sweet demeanor vanished and she began backing slowly out of the room.

"Get out!" Carri snarled with enough venom to send the girl fleeing in terror.

She turned her hard, dark brown eyes back to the mirror; they were the only thing about her that she recognized. Skeletal shoulders heaved up and down against her clinging skin as she gulped air into the lungs that lay somewhere under the two silicon bowling balls stuffed inside it. She didn't know how the hell it had happened, but she was damn sure gonna change it.

* * *

"This is incredibly dangerous." Thomas commented in an sour tone, arms folded across his chest as he watched a large viewing orb that hadn't been present in Primus's viewing chamber when the girls had visited. 

He shifted uncomfortably and tried to remain calm. He had thought the girls would only be subjected to illusions, but Primus had given them the opportunity to actually change history itself. The fabric of time had been re-woven and now the three girls would be allowed to actually choose their fates. Knowing how one life had turned out and what disappointments it had led them to, they would have to actively choose to now do things differently or return time to the way it was. All three would have to choose to return in order for the timeline, as it had been when they left, to be reinstated. Only Primus and the few others of his ilk had the power to manipulate the timelines so dramatically on nothing more than a whim or curiosity.

Most disturbing to Thomas was not the choices of the other two, but Kimberly knew if she succeeded on the quest to find the Triad, she would be hunted down and destroyed by the moderators of the continuum. She knew her life was at its end, that she was about to win, only to lose, and the ability to chose differently would be more tempting than to the other two; and have far more dire consequences. If he had known the length Primus would go to test her, he might have given her some small, if false, measure of hope that her ending would have a trace of the happy-ever-after her heart craved.

Contrary to her belief, no one knew yet what she had done to Netau and few would actually care if he disappeared. He had been a thorn in more than one guardian's side for centuries; a problem no one really knew how to deal with. He had done his best to cover her tracks for her and he doubted anyone would look too hard, but with the Triad's power she would become more formidable than many wished to deal with. They would definitely come after her and, unless Primus himself intervened, she would perish… and Primus hadn't left his lair in several million years.

Now she had the opportunity to chose to erase her history, to stay with her Tommy and never leave him; experience a lifetime as his lover instead of only a few months. Everything Thomas had accomplished in the last decade of real time with her, nearly three hundred years of cross dimensional history, now lay in the balance.

"You forgot to mention she had disposed of Netau." Primus chided. The silk screen was gone and a large, thirty foot tank, reminiscent of Zordon's Power Tube, stood in its place. Floating, suspended in the liquid, was the ethereal creature Kimberly had sensed. Like the girl he had trained, Thomas showed no fear of the ghastly being, but revered and trusted him as assuredly as he had Zordon; who had also stood as a young human in the shadows of this very same tank. When Thomas said nothing, he added, "She left the orb with me."

This time, Thomas turned and regarded his zordmaster warily. "Why would she do such a thing?" He pondered aloud. He, himself, would have no qualms with leaving Netau's orb with Primus. Indeed, he had already decided to turn the orb over to him for safe keeping… once Kimberly got around to confessing to him… but giving the orb to Primus directly showed a great deal more trust for the old dinosaur than he would have thought Kimberly would be willing to give; considering what she considered her history of betrayals.

"You have underestimated her." Primus noted. "I think they all have. Zordon was far more clever in both her breeding and upbringing than we accounted for. Of all of his little genetic experiments over the last few millennia of his lifespan, this one actually entices me to some measure of curiosity."

"Then let us hope you do not underestimate her yourself." Thomas responded with an edge of venom. Kimberly was like a child of his own, like the daughter his own dear wife craved but never had time to give him. He trusted Primus, but just like Zordon before him, he also knew how dangerous his master's full attention was.

For his part, Primus appeared to sniff derisively at the comment. "I have existed for over six million of your years boy." He answered testily. "Very little surprises me any longer."

Thomas turned and calmly surveyed his master. Primus rarely exhibited much emotion or inflection in his tone, that he should do so now was curious. "I should hope so." He answered blandly.


	21. Chapter 21 Always A Ranger

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 21: Once A Ranger…

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

_**The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

* * *

SPOILER ALERT: Some events in this chapter and the next after the ending of _The Alternate_ and will elude to its outcome.

* * *

Tommy was in a funk. Despite the fact that the medical computer had cleared him, his chest hurt. It hurt to breath, it hurt to move, it hurt to think. It hurt to simply function. He didn't necessarily have the predisposition to sulk, but from time to time, like now, he allowed himself the luxury. His eyes bore down on the digital clock display on the small table. He'd give himself twenty more minutes and then force himself to snap out of it.

In just over an hour, he'd have to be the leader again. That was the role he'd always wanted, the one he was the best at, but for right now he simply wanted to curl up on the bed an brood. He didn't have a clue what he was going to tell the Red Assembly. Everything depended on either Jason or his wife returning successfully; and no one had heard anything from either of them. Even two Billys, working in unison in the Command Center, couldn't find them.

Jason had been gone for over six hours…and his wife more than three. With each cycle of digital seconds he was becoming more and more depressed by the realization that neither were likely coming back. The very thought constricted his chest so tightly he gasped for air and considered alerting one of the Billys that he was still having chest pain. But it wasn't his heart that was arresting, it was his soul.

He'd never thought twice about dying; not since he was a young teen. It was the price a warrior paid; the price a career Ranger paid. He'd given his life to the service of the Great Power and he knew it would use him until the very last second. Kim and Jason knew that too. They gave their lives as willingly as he did, but he didn't want it to be over yet. He wanted to roll back time forty-eight hours to when he'd been happy. He wanted his wife back.

His eyes drifted from the digital clock display to the LCD screen on the digital camera he'd found in her possessions. He stared at the photo displayed there. He'd taken it at Billy and Trini's wedding rehearsal. It was one of those photos that just sometimes happen; spontaneous, but gripping. Kim had turned just as he'd pressed the button. The look in her eyes had captured her perfectly.

She wasn't at all like the girl he'd dated in high school. It was almost like she was a completely different woman. A woman who simply shared the same name as the girl he'd once dated; maybe gone to the same school. He simultaneously adored this new woman and chaffed at her independence. Learning to work with her had been a challenge, but now he realized how much he'd come to depend on her. She was a sounding board, a partner, a friend, a lover. In just a matter of months, she'd become completely integral to his whole life; filling a place in him that he hadn't even realized was empty. He wanted her back.

His chest constricted again as a very real hopelessness fell upon him like a thick, smothering blanket. She had left him a very detailed account of exactly what was going on and what she and Jason had planed; too detailed.

Netau was dead…and he was glad. He tried very hard to disassociate himself from anger and hateful thoughts, but he was a soldier; sometimes it was impossible to fight and not hate. He'd grown to hate Netau with a passion that startled him. He hated him for everything he'd put Kim through, for everything he'd done to them on their journey into the past, for everything the world was going through now. Netau had called his wife a demon, yet he himself was corrupted beyond reason by the power he welded. It was the ultimate irony that, through Netau's destruction, he would obtain what years of plotting against her hadn't; the guardians would now reach out and destroy her for killing one of their own.

Tommy looked at the clock again. He had less than five minutes left to feel sorry for himself. Sorry that, even if his wife managed to come back, she was still lost to him. Sorry that their life together was simply not to be. They had tried twice to love each other… and twice they were doomed to separation. Twice his heart had been ripped out and left bleeding on the sidewalk because she'd had to go away. It was over…over with a finality that only death could bring; but he just didn't want it to be. His chest constricted again and he gasped, rolling over with the pain and breathing through it.

His dad had died of a massive heart attack. He had spoken to him on the phone only a few hours before; some sixth sense that things weren't right. But his dad had assured him that all was well and he felt fine; just tired. Reassured by his father's words, he'd gone on with his day, only to return home from class to be met by a teary eyed Kat. Tired, Tommy thought bitterly, it was now his turn to be tired.



Would that be how it was for him? He wondered silently. After all the close calls, after all the miracle last minute saves, would he just be walking down the hall and his heart simply give out? Well, he thought bitterly, it was certainly the right time for it to give out. Morbidly, he wondered if his wife and Zordon would be waiting for him; death was almost appealing right now.

He rolled back over and glanced at the clock. One minute past his pity party's scheduled ending. Damn, he thought bitterly to himself. He wasn't ready to give up moping just yet. Sighing heavily, he forced himself to work through the worst of the despair. It didn't quite work, but as he breathed through it, redirected and re-channeled his focus, he began to feel better; just tired. He could be tired later, he reassured himself. He had one last job to get done, one last role as leader, then he'd allow himself to rest.

He forced his mind to run through everything the various teams were trying to accomplish, the last reports handed him before Billy shooed him back to his quarters to recuperate from his ordeal. It was damn impressive what the Assembly had accomplished and he channeled all his thoughts into how proud he was of them. They would get through this. He forced his thoughts to focus on the determination of the Rangers who were giving it their all. The melancholy lifted and he closeted it in the back recesses of his mind. It could wait until after the last battle or after the evacuations; whichever came.

The problem now was deciding what to do. Where to go. He couldn't allow himself to think about Kim not returning with the Triad crystal. Instead, he focused his contingency plans on whether or not Jason returned. He knew what he was going to do and what he was going to say if Jason returned with the team of alternates and somehow managed to link the grids on Earth to the grids on Phaedos via Muirantias. What he didn't know was what he was going to say if his friend didn't return or returned without being able to link the grids.

So what did he tell the Reds if that happened? He asked himself angrily. Thank you for all your hard work and you're readiness to fight the good fight? Unfortunately, things just didn't work out so we're all gonna hunker down in our bunkers until the world ends and we can move someplace else? It was fucking bullshit answer and it was driving him crazy.

He sighed heavily as pain once again constricted his chest. He was going to have to tell Billy about the pain, he realized. Something wasn't right; the computer had obviously missed something. He forced himself upright and all but staggered to the door; right hand grasping his left arm tightly. Damn, he thought again as he hit the emergency button Billy had given him. Sliding to the floor, unable to breathe through the pain, he wondered where the hell his wife was; he wanted her back.

* * *

It took Kim a half an hour to get dressed. She was a little worried her mom would ask her what took so long, but instead, her mother seemed surprised that she'd gotten ready so quickly. Kim honestly couldn't remember the days when she'd take hours on her makeup and hair, but she was suddenly confronted by the vague recollection of it. It was like a distant memory that someone reminds you of; humorous and embarrassing at the same time.

For her part, Kim honestly didn't know what her teenage self had been thinking when picking out her wardrobe. She'd remembered the biker shorts, but that was more a memory of being pleased with herself that she'd discovered a solution to sundresses and putty fights. What she hadn't remembered was how tight everything was, how much midriff she'd shown, and how god-awful her taste in color and style had been. She remembered being the height of fashion and practicality; all the girls copied her. What she didn't remember was pairing army boots with pink socks and a sundress. What the hell had she been thinking? She'd had to dig and dig through her overstuffed closet just to come up with a simple pair of capris and pink tennis shoes.

Pulling her tiny little tank top down over pair of boobs that seemed much smaller and perkier to her, as well as donning a favorite and previously lost necklace, she declined her mother's offer of a late breakfast and bolted for the front door. She had to find a place to transport and make her way to Zordon; he'd know what her next step was. Bounding out the door and turning around the corner of the front walk to the driveway, she ran head first into Tommy, or rather, a very young, long haired version of Tommy.

She didn't have time to be startled. He umfed with the impact, his arms automatically circling around her to keep her from falling, then picked her up, swung her around, and pressed her against the garage door. Before she could utter a word, his mouth was on hers, claiming a kiss that literally sent her toes curling.

She'd forgotten about those kisses. The act itself, to her adult mind, was rather clumsy and sloppy, but god, the hormone rush they induced. There were no words in any language to describe the overpowering toxic rush of pure pheromone induced lust, unique to teenagers, that coursed through her. She relived it all now with the ecstatic pleasure of castaway who had been without water for days, only to stumble across the most beautiful lagoon he'd ever seen.

It was that exhilarating rush of hormones and pheromones that simply seemed to slip away from her in adulthood. It would return sometimes in little echoes, teasing reminders of times gone by, but now she was once again encompassed by the pure ecstasy of it all. She forgot Zordon and the discrepancies of the morning and melted into the kiss, pressing and moving her body against his in a way that would have shocked any onlookers, but felt so incredibly good that she couldn't stop herself. Every sense in her body was live-wired and she extrapolated every ounce of pleasure she could from the feel of him.

At his audible groan, she came up short, remembering where she was and what she was doing. Her husband's face flashed before her, bringing her sharply back into reality. Technically, she supposed she wasn't really cheating on him. Could one really cheat on a spouse with a younger version of that spouse? She clamped her lips shut and pushed him backward, pressing herself against the cold aluminum of the garage door.



"What's wrong?" He gasped, leaning instantly back in for more. The previous night at the lake had been incredible, but the way she moved against him this afternoon was unbearable. He wanted more and, ignoring her protest, leaned in and claimed her mouth again. This time, however, she wasn't having any of it and firmly pushed him away.

"I'm not your Kimberly." She said breathlessly, falling back on the reflexive phrase she'd used countless times in alternate worlds.

"What?" He asked, brought up cold by the directness and seriousness of her tone.

"I'm not your Kimberly." She repeated, still breathing heavily. "I'm not sure what's happened, whether I'm in an alternate universe or I've simply been superimposed over a younger version of myself, but time has been distorted and I need to get to Zordon before I do any lasting damage to the continuum timelines."

She looked up at him then, struck by the look on his face. It was that young, almost pouty look of total confusion that she never saw any more on the man he'd grown into. The corner of her mouth twitched at the sight. She'd forgotten that look; it was positively adorable.

"You're not Kim?" He asked slowly, forehead creasing as the information sunk in. She looked like Kim, felt like Kim, but she didn't sound like Kim. Superimposed? Time distorted? Kim didn't talk like that; Billy did.

"I'm Kim." She said reassuringly, lifting one hand to tuck a stray strand of his long hair behind his ear…god the hair… she'd thought it was so sexy at the time. "I'm just not your Kim."

"What happened to her?" He asked, concerned now.

"I don't know." Kim admitted. "If I'm reading the morphanological signatures correctly, I'm in my home dimension, but this is definitely not the right timeline." She said, shaking her head. "Maybe a wave of some sort rolled the continuum, I dunno, I can't tell for sure. It's as if I've somehow been blocked or cut off from the bulk of my power… but my innate talents appear to still be intact." She continued, more to herself than to him. Tommy stared at her again for so long that she laughed and at his utterly baffled look, adding, "It'll be alright Tommy. Stranger things than this have occurred in my career. Let's just get to the Power Chamber and see what Zordon has to say. He's still living on Earth, right?"

"Yeah." He answered slowly, forehead knotting even deeper to the point where she could almost see the echoes of the man he'd become.

"Then let's get going and see if we can get your Kim back." She said patiently, patting his shoulder as if he was a little boy who'd just lost his favorite toy.

He followed her numbly as they moved off to find a safe place to transport. It was too weird, even in the life of a Power Ranger. She looked like Kim, the voice sounded like Kim, but the words coming from her lips were wacky. She was acting strangely too; almost like…his mom. The comparison was like a jolt of cold water drowning out the last of any amorous intentions he may have had a few minutes before. He picked up his pace and closed the distance between them, pulling her back into an alcove between two houses . Hopefully Zordon would know what to do.

* * *

Carri paced the foyer of her so-called husband's Arizona mansion like a cat. It had taken three months and a lot of careful planning on her part, but she was now ready to make her move. She was ready to break free of her imprisonment to David Meyers and do something about what had happened to her.

She'd flown from Miami to Scottsdale on the excuse that she was going on another diet plan and cholonic purge and didn't want to be distracted. Once safely out of husband's line of sight, she'd immediately detoxed herself, cold turkey, from alcohol and whatever other drugs, prescription or non, that her body had been craving. It had taken over a week for the horrible pains wracking her to subside, but once they had, she'd instructed the staff to start feeding her the healthy and carefully balanced diet she'd followed before landing in this nightmare.

That was how she knew it was a nightmare, one that she was actually living, but a nightmare none-the-less. She knew the foods she needed, knew the martial arts exercises that earned her odd looks from the staff. She knew things she wouldn't know if this life was really hers. That and the fact she still had her Panther coin. Something had changed, the timeline was wrong, not her; she wasn't crazy. She couldn't be crazy; could she?

Bit by bit, as she increased her carbohydrate and protein intake, her skeletal body slowly filled itself out again and her muscle tone developed. Step by step she retrained her body until, nearly three months later, she was only now just able to resume the intense workouts she'd remembered doing in another lifetime.

All the while, she'd pounded the computer keyboard to try and find out what had happened and the exact position she now found herself in. She was, by no means, an expert on timelines and time waves, but that was the only explanation she could think of for what had happened. In this world, in this life, she'd never met Kimberly. Never gotten on the plane that had flown her away from David Myers and the life that was drowning her. She had, apparently, put her head down and done what her parents told her to; she'd gone through with the marriage to David in her junior year of college.



A time wave was the only explanation she could think of. One simple decision had changed everything. But why she still retained the memory of her alternate past, she didn't know. She could only assume her memory had been left intact so that she could fix things… but how did you fix something that no one but you knew was broken?

She'd tracked Kim down on the Internet, only to find her a happily married mother of two, living in Reefside, and selling oil paintings under the name: Kimberly Oliver. Upon calling the gallery, presumably to contract the artist to paint several murals in their Scottsdale house, it became painfully clear that Kimberly didn't have a clue who she was; not even when she used her maiden name of Hillard.

Kim had apparently never left Angel Grove for the Pan Games. According to her biography on the web and in news articles, she'd been an aspiring tier one gymnast until she'd married Tommy after her senior year in high school and started having kids. Carri could only assume that, if she and Tommy were both in Reefside, then they had both stayed with the Rangers and Tommy had founded his Dino Thunder team… but the rest simply gave her a headache. She needed help to sort it all it all out and the only help she knew to turn to wasn't around anymore. It was baffling and frustrating and she was seriously ready to spit nails.

To ice the cake, Rocky had apparently married Marie three years prior. She had been so devastated to read that particular piece of information, that she had shut down her computer, sinking into a deep depression, and hadn't logged back on to the Internet for nearly a week.

Two months into her self-imposed regime of proper diet and exercise, she'd set about removing the toxic appendages added to her body. Two months of feeling out her position had taught her that her husband controlled every aspect of her life. She had very few accounts in her name, less property in her name, and a stack of credit cards that were maxed out and only paid off when her husband felt like felt like giving her a little treat by extending her spending limits.

She'd had to play the role of a Barbie doll, pouting over the phone and telling him that she wasn't happy with herself and needed a little more surgical help to make it all better. It had worked, he'd transferred the funds she needed into her account and within days she'd gone under the knife, but to remove the silicon in her body, not add to it.

She wasn't necessarily happy with the results. She'd been far too stretched out by the implants to ever look like she had before. She was flatter and she was scarred, but at least she could throw a proper punch again and sleep on her stomach.

But now David was flying in to pay her a little attention and she was panicking. Why he would suddenly choose to fly out from New York after three months of practically ignoring her, she didn't know. Perhaps he was bored with his latest skirt or perhaps someone had tipped him off that his wife was remolding herself.

She had hoped to have a another week at least. Who was she kidding? She thought bitterly, she needed a few more months. She knew what she had to do, knew how to do it. She'd had three months to map it all out.

On a short weekend trip to presumably visit her mother before undergoing surgery again, but timed so that her husband was in London, she'd dismissed the staff for a day and tore their New York penthouse apart; tracking down and carefully studying all of David's records.

She didn't want any of it, but she was going to need money if she was going to survive in the world. She'd apparently been married to David for eight years, yet he controlled everything. She'd lose the most valuable of the holdings if she left him, unless she sued, but she didn't care. He could have the properties and the investments, but if she'd put up with him for eight years, then she felt she was at least entitled to some of the cash.

She didn't honestly expect he'd let her go that easily, so she planned to take with her at least enough to retain lawyers as well as set herself up in her own place. David had spread the accounts out all over the world and some of them, but not many, had her name a signer; at least, that she could find. She had already managed to obtain the account numbers and passwords she needed and, over the past month while she recovered from her surgery, she'd quietly opened parallel accounts with each of the banks. Using the online banking system, she'd set everything up so all she had to do was log on and make interbank transfers into accounts with her name only. It was legal, if sneaky, but she justified it by reminding herself that the monies in question were a tenth of what she'd found in accounts that she couldn't touch.

She growled as she paced. She sincerely doubted her husband was going to like the changes she made. She was a good twenty-five pounds heavier, but still ten less than she remembered being when she'd been a Ranger. Skin that had clung helplessly to her skeleton was now relaxing over building muscle tone. The boobs were gone, the lips slowly deflating. She'd cut the fried mass of waist length tresses into a short bob, and put as much dark brown color into burnt and straw-like remnants as they would hold. She was clear headed, in full strategic mode, and her temper was high.

She had to take a deep breath and calm down, draw on the acting skills she'd learned as her father's daughter, and get through this. If she had to bolt now, she'd still be fine. She doubted her dad and her brother would simply turn their backs on her, but she didn't want to be dependent on anyone. That had been the whole point of getting on that plane with Kim a decade ago; to make her own life the way she wanted it. True, the last few days before she'd left had been difficult, but it was her life, she'd chosen it, and she wanted it back.

She would find Kim, try and put together what had happened, and then she'd look up Rocky. He was married and as a Catholic she sincerely doubted he'd be inclined to simply drop everything and fly into her waiting arms. That part of her life was most likely over for good, and that thought pained her, but she had to at least try see him; even if he didn't remember her.

She stopped her pacing, head jerking sharply to stare out the lead glass paneled front doors as a black Mercedes pulled up and under the portico. She took a deep breath and steeled her shoulders as the familiar and well despised image of David Myers exited the car and straightened the sweater tied around his shoulders. Show-time…

* * *

Jason gasped for breath, the sweat pouring down his face as well as the rest of his body. Things were definitely not going well. Red putties were everywhere and they were ten times as difficult as the ones he'd faced before. Kemora had the alternate Kimberly and despite two rescue attempts they'd only managed to get close enough for a brief glimpse of her collapsed form.

Kemora was moving steadily forward, ever closer to the temple entrance. They had put everything they had into keeping her forces back and then, suddenly, after nearly six hours of fighting, the jungle was suddenly, deafeningly, quiet.

"I don't like this." The alternate Tommy said cautiously.

"Yeah, me neither." Jason muttered, looking around the deathly still jungle.

His eyes caught those of his own alternate and they exchanged mutual feelings of uncertainty and dread. Slowly, the two bands of Rangers edged closer to one another, coming steadily together in a large arc.

"This isn't right." Cole said, shaking his head and gaining Jason's attention. All of them were dirty and battered and Cole, de-morphed apparently for the final time, had simply discarded his torn and burnt shirt rather than deal with the frayed mess of it. "The animals have all disappeared. It's as if the whole island has suddenly run for cover."

"Let's get back inside the temple." Jason answered cautiously, taking several steps backward.

"Oh my god look!" Taylor exclaimed, drawing their attention. Like the rest of Wild Force, the former Wild Force yellow was de-morphed and covered in singe marks and burns from the unexpected heat of the volcanic red putties. She pointed upward at a large plum of ash rising from the mountain behind them.

"Shit." Jason growled as he spun around. "We're too late, Kemora's found a back entrance to the temple somewhere." He said as his eyes watched the plum of ash billow upwards.

"Let's move!" The alternate Tommy barked, charging backward toward the main temple entrance. As one, the Rangers turned and plowed through the dense foliage behind him.

* * *

"Technically, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you." Hayley said evenly, giving Tommy a candid look.

"Then why the pain?" Tommy growled back. He'd passed out. He never, ever passed out. The pain in his chest was more bearable now that he was hooked to the medical bed again, but the air seemed to simply refuse to enter his lungs.

"Tommy…" Hayley said with a frustrated sigh. "You've just been through an incredible ordeal. Not that I actually believe you would, but you've got to give your body time to recover from this round." She said earnestly. She wanted to remind him that he wasn't eighteen anymore, that he wasn't even twenty-five. He'd put his body through the wringer time and time again for over a decade and he was now paying the piper for it. But it wouldn't do much good, so she stayed silent.

"I don't have time to rest." He muttered, defensively.

"Then you aren't going to get better are you?" She replied with the same edge of frustration. When he didn't respond, simply glared at the ceiling, she sighed heavily again. "Right now, aside from some mild arrhythmia, there's nothing wrong with you, but if you push it…" She said, voice tightening to get his attention. "…then you could do some real damage."

Tommy still didn't look at her. Simply laid back on the medical table and glared at the ceiling, jaw muscles working and clenching as he thought through things. She wanted to smack him, or at least shake him around a little. She knew what this was really about.

"Look, miracles happen all the time around the Rangers." She offered encouragingly. She never liked his brooding side, but she liked even less the defeatist attitude he was giving her now. She understood the Kimberly factor, understood both she and Jason hadn't returned yet, but if there was one thing she did know, it was that you never underestimated the Rangers until you were absolutely certain it was over. She opened her mouth to say something along those lines, then stopped as Conner and a few Rangers she didn't know came barreling into the Command Center. She looked up to see what all the commotion was about, then caught her breath as Conner roared up to the second medical table and deposited Kira's limp form.

"You got her back?" Hayley asked incredulously. "How?"

"Who?" Tommy asked, sitting up and then going very still as he realized who they were bringing in.



The Command Center was suddenly a bustle of activity with two Billy's and Hayley and Dr. Manx all flying around the table trying to stabilize the former Dino Thunder yellow Ranger. Tommy disconnected himself and slid off the table, moving towards Conner, who had been pushed back to the sidelines.

"I don't know how the hell you did it." He told his former red, catching the boy's eyes. "But I'm impressed." He said seriously. Getting past Teeg, getting in, getting her out, he hadn't even included it into the equation.

"Wasn't me." Conner admitted numbly, still in shock himself that Kira was actually back and laying on the table before him. At his mentor's curious look, he pointed to the two Rangers who had brought her in. "I was just helping out at the other infirmary, they're filled to capacity in there with minor stuff. These two brought her in and I thought it would be better, considering, if she was in here instead."

Tommy looked over at the two unfamiliar Rangers and froze. They were still wearing pink shades of spandex, but their helmets had been removed. "You two?" He asked in astonishment. Before him were Bulk and Skull; in pink. It wasn't a gaping expression he had on his face, it wasn't really astonishment either, but whatever look he did have, sent both men edging backward away from him.

"Uhm…" Adam interjected, wheeling his chair forward. "I think we may have forgotten to mention one or two small details when we briefed you earlier." He admitted sheepishly. Actually, given the stress that had already been put on his heart, they'd purposely decided to omit the whole Bulk and Skull catastrophe until he'd recovered a bit more, but now that he knew...

"I don't want to know." Tommy said firmly. He whirled around and focused on his former student and the only female member of his Dino Thunder team. He stood there until he saw the green stabilization lights, then silently turned and walked back toward his quarters.

* * *

Karone landed the small ship on the rocky beach of Phaedos, taking several deep, calming breaths as she turned off the ships systems. This wasn't exactly her ideal choice, and possibly the most dangerous of all the options she'd considered, but she didn't know any other way to discover what had happened to the timeline.

She was a queen again, master of her own destiny and of the millions who served her, but she simply no longer wanted to be; it wasn't in her. She didn't want to return to that life, yet she saw no options elsewhere. Earth had been conquered. Her brother, the Astro team…Zane… all dead. She was the absolute authority of evil…and she hated herself. She knew her past life wasn't a dream, knew there had been an alternate ending, but how to find it? Thoughts of alternate realities and Kimberly's descriptions of how they worked had led her to Phaedos.

If Kimberly was dead, and she was fairly certain she was, then she would seek the woman who had trained her. This was not an easy task. The powers on Phaedos had been sought by evil beings before. If she survived her first encounter with the witch Dulcea, she'd be luckier than most…but if she didn't, she'd be dead like her brother and her friends. Considering she was the one to have supposedly killed them, death was not an unpleasant option to her.

She made it perhaps three steps from the ship when Dulcea found her. The witch was faster than she'd even anticipated and she was prostrate on the ground in a matter of seconds.

"Leave this place." Dulcea growled, staff held ominously close to her throat. "You and yours are not welcome here."

"I seek Kaycea, not the power on this planet." Karone said evenly.

"Who?" Dulcea asked, curious, but still cautious.

"Kaycea, a former student of yours; in my reality if not this one. She also goes by the name of Kimberly, student of Zordon. She specializes in interdimensional travel. Several months ago I was in my own alternate universe, suddenly I woke up here."

"And you just happened to wake up as the queen of all evil?" Dulcea growled jabbing her staff closer.

"Believe what you will." Karone said evenly. "Kill me if you will. This is not the not the reality I belong to and I have no idea of how to return to my home."

Dulcea paused and slowly stood back up, regarding the woman before her cautiously. She knew exactly who she was. She was either very brave or very stupid to have come un-armed to the Phaedosian shoreline. Still, oddly, she sensed no evil from the girl, only a veiled sense of hopelessness and sorrow.

"I want to go home." Karone said evenly. "Help me or kill me; I don't care which, I'm ready for both."

Dulcea backed away slowly, still regarding her carefully. "If you truly seek help," She said slowly, "Help will be given. However if you plan treachery, you will be destroyed."

"Like I said." Karone said evenly, standing up and facing the master warrior in front of her. "I'm ready for both."

* * *



Jason was re-living a nightmare, but it was from the ground, as helpless as the rest, as he watched Kemora drag a struggling Kimberly towards the pit. He couldn't let it happen, wouldn't let it happen, yet there was no time. There nothing he could do but watch as powerlessly as the others. The seconds ticked by like minutes in a macabre slow motion parody of a decade before. He heard the alternate Tommy scream for his Kim, saw the surge of countless red putties swarm forward and block each and every Ranger's attempt to rush forward and rescue the struggling girl, heard the roar of the pit, and could acutely feel the death that waited there at Kemora's hands.

His Kimberly wasn't in control of the pit any longer. He could already see the changes she had made on their last visit begin to shift and change as the walls melted from bright white limestone into a dark and foreboding dirty grey. He saw the eyes of the phoenix above him glow red, not in anger, but in dismay as the shift in power began to take hold. There was nothing he could do. He knew end of this scene, had relived it thousands of times in his darkest nightmares.

As helpless as the phoenix guardian above him, he felt the power shift, felt his link with Muirantias begin to fade. So this was what his Kim had felt a few months earlier, he mused silently as the scene played itself out before him. The loss of power, the loss of that life sustaining connection, the knowing you were becoming mortal again with each passing second. As the power began to retreat from his cells in earnest, he began to sway. With a growl that was born more of frustration and an unwillingness to give up than from pain, he dropped to his knees as his body began to die.

He heard Kemora's laugh, saw the surge of putties descend on what they perceived as a helpless victim, saw a few of the Rangers pivot and move to help him. All of this in the sluggish, blending colors of a slow motion dream. He watched in horror as Kemora raised the girl over the pit as if she were no more than a doll. He heard the alternate Tommy scream, heard the girl scream back, and then Kemora let go, sending her into the depth of the fires below.

He was never quite sure afterward exactly happened next, it simply did. From the shadows of the open entrance, a dark, cold form rushed forward. He heard the wolf-like growl, lethal and cruel. Saw Kemora attempt to enter the pit herself, only to be pushed backwards by the black shadow that descended upon her with a canine-like snarl. He heard Merrick scream something like "Zen-Aku", then saw him restrained by two of his teammates. He saw, clearly but briefly, the look of horror in the demon's eyes as she fell backward, away from the edge of the pit…

And then the light returned as easily as if someone had simply flipped a switch. The brightness was as disorienting as the darkness had been and affected all present in the same way. In a blink, he could suddenly feel the pit's fire coursing through his cells again as if its connection had never left him, could see the eyes of the phoenix above surge with power, saw the demon's artificial body dead and draining its fluids on the bright limestone, watched as the red putties simply crumbled to dust, and then heard the alternate Tommy scream again as he surged forward toward the pit's protective wall. Reflexively, he grabbed the man, spinning him around and slapping the panicked look from his face.

"Concentrate!" He screamed as his friend's double. "Concentrate on her with all your might, with all your heart. She has to know she can do this. That she can pull herself together and come back to you, she has to KNOW she can come back to you!"

The alternate Tommy stared at him numbly for several long, agonizing seconds, then closed his eyes and physically steeled his body.

"Once you connect with her, don't let her doubt herself. She can do this. Tell her she can do it, that you love her and are waiting for her; will her to do it." Jason coached, "Will her to come back to you."

The silence in the small chamber was deafening as all stopped and simply stared at the alternate Tommy's struggle to focus, to will the alternate Kimberly back from the pit, and, just as it had the last time, the phoenix released itself from its stone captivity and swooped down upon the room.

This time Jason didn't dive for cover, but the others did. He saw the living inferno plunge from its perch, circle the room and enter the pit, saw it lift the body of the girl, saw her rise within the flame and descend back to the limestone floor, saw the phoenix circle the room once more, heard it howl with exaltation and power, but then the lights became too bright and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, it was over.

Jason watched in a subdued tone from the sidelines as the alternate Kimberly's Tommy and other friends rushed forward in excitement. Watched as the Wild Force team slipped to the opposite side to investigate the demon's empty, artificial shell. Watched Cole push aside the vacant body and pick up something small and dark next to it. He alone in the room knew the magnitude of what had just happened.

He stepped forward and retrieved Lerigot's wand from where the demon had dropped it. Kemora was gone; not dead, but successfully banished again from Muirantias. But they hadn't won, his inability to protect the alternate Kimberly had created another K; a being exactly like he was. The Power have mercy on his soul, he'd done what he'd swore he'd never do… he'd continued the legacy of the pit.

* * *

"I swear," Conner said good-naturedly as the three former Dino Thunder Rangers gathered around Kira's sick bed, "If I heard him say one more time, 'It's not like she's just gonna fall down from the sky in front of us' I was gonna strangle him. Seriously…"

"He's been practically chanting it." Trent added with a groan and raised eyebrow. They were trying their best to cheer her up, but despite her smiles, she was far from her usual self. She was subdued, the light behind her eyes dimmed, and slow to banter with them. He couldn't blame her. Of the three boys surrounding her, only he knew what it was like to serve as an evil Ranger; the experience still haunted him.

"Hey," Ethan chimed in defensively, "Like, how many times has that worked for us in the past? Huh? It was totally worth a shot this time."



The three laughed and continued to joke back and forth, earning a small smile from their recovering friend before Hayley approached the group. She had allowed them into the Command Center, as if she really had a choice once the other two found out where she was, but the senior staff had a battle to prepare for in less than an hour and they were about to bring the young alternate team back from Lightspeed.

"Alright," She said, coming to a stop and placing a firm hand on both Ethan and Trent's shoulders, "I said five minutes and have tolerated ten. You two have assignments you need to finish and you," She added, looking specifically at Conner, "Have Assembly to get to."

The boys mumbled grudgingly, but began to move away from the med bed, calling back their good wishes and how pleased they were that their teammate was back as they went. Conner held back slightly, watching as his former teammates were escorted by Hayley through the portal to Billy's lab and the exit, earning him a curious look from Kira.

"What's assembly?" She asked quietly.

"Oh, uh…" He answered hesitantly, moving back up to the table, "It's just a meeting Dr. O wants me at."

"Oh." She replied, giving him a look that seemed to ask why he was still hanging around if he was supposed to be somewhere else.

"Look…" He started uncertainly. "I uhm, I just wanted to say…"

She raised an eyebrow at him as he fumbled. Conner wasn't usually the one who fumbled for words, in her experience he could talk himself out of just about anything; and usually did.

"I just wanted to say I'm really sorry." He finished, nodding his head a little and shuffling uncomfortably.

"For what?" She asked, frowning. She was tired. She'd never been this completely and totally bone weary in her whole life. It hurt to even remember to breath let alone try and think through what he was getting at.

"For uhm, for suggesting we go get coffee that morning and for…" He paused and looked anywhere but at his friend, "For not being a good enough red to keep them from taking you."

"You really are an idiot you know that?" She replied.

"Kira…"

"Oh come on, Xander and I were the only ones with active morphers." She answered impatiently, sounding more like her old self. "Of course we were gonna…"

"No…" Conner interrupted, still looking uncomfortable and hesitant. "You two weren't the only ones. I've been part of the Red Assembly, with an active morpher, almost since Dino Thunder wound up. Dr. O said I couldn't tell anyone, it's this like totally secret society of all the former Reds."

"And yet you're here, blabbing about it to me right now." She responded, giving him a sardonic look he knew well.

"Well, recently it hasn't exactly been so secret." He admitted.

"Oh, well… one of those." She said, rolling her eyes. "My dad belonged to one of those not-so-secret-secret societies. It came out at his divorce trial to my mom that they sat around every other Friday night, played cards, watched porn, and made weird noises with their armpits."

"Kira…" He said in a frustrated tone. "I had a morpher, so did Andros, we just didn't have time to use them. It all happened so fast…and then you were gone."

"And you've been beating yourself up over it ever since?" She asked, slapping him weakly when he gave her a irritated look that seemed more pouty than anything else. Still, it was kind of nice to know the dumb lug had been concerned about her; there were very few on the planet she could say would even have noticed she'd gone missing. "Look," She said, fatigue and the overwhelming emotion of what she'd just been through creeping into her voice. "Don't worry about it ok? I'm back, I survived. It's over."

Conner gave her a measuring look that was far more like the red in him rather than the jock persona he cultivated. He didn't think it was over at all. Trent had never really recovered from his stint as an evil Ranger; remaining moody and brooding long after he had reformed and high school had ended. The problem was, he didn't know how to say what his gut was telling him needed to be said. He didn't know the words she needed to hear. He was spared any trouble of formulating them though when Hayley approached from behind, placing two firm and admonishing hands on his shoulders.

"Setup for the Red Assembly started thirty seconds ago." She chided. "You apparently have a demonstration you're supposed to be putting together for your team?"

Conner nodded and gave Kira one last long look before he turned. "Tell them I'm on my way." He muttered, heading toward the portal.

"As for you." Hayley said to Kira. "I'm told you need sleep."



"I don't think I'll be getting much sleep anytime soon." Kira answered frankly.

"Then I'll give you a little help." Hayley said gently. She turned and hit a series of buttons on the consol.

"Oh…no, really…" Kira began to protest. The last thing she wanted was a return to the nightmares that engulfed her each time she closed her eyes, but she was already beginning to feel the light floating feeling at the base of her head and by the time she had the last word out, she was already drifting off to sleep.

"Trust me." Hayley said as the girl closed her eyes. "You're the lucky one. Everyone here is going to want to sleep through the next few hours."

* * *

The young team of alternates looked around them awkwardly as they once again transported into the room K had brought them to earlier. None of them were really sure why they'd been hustled away and all but stored in a holding bay at Lightspeed, but none were complaining. Carter and Andros had given them a good briefing and they knew what was expected of them; besides, the Lightspeed Rescue base had been awesome. To realize that technology could be part of their Earth's future was exciting and they marveled at even the simplest of things.

The only caveat to their enthusiasm was the realization that Zordon didn't exist on this world. Thoughts of what could have happened to their mentor were unnerving at best to the young team. None of them, even the young Kim, really understood what an alternate universe really was. They understood it wasn't necessarily their future they were looking at, but they also understood it could be a possible future. To think of their own world destroyed by an evil invader's black towers, with no Zordon, with little hope left for the Rangers, was horrifying.

Still, as Rangers, they pulled together to understand what was expected of them and get the job done. They were one of possibly three teams with morphing power. K had left to find a power source strong enough to purge the grids, which would return morphing power to the other teams present, but that was a tenuous mission at best. They had to be prepared to be all this Earth had.

The young Kim felt the pressure of this mission more acutely than the others. She understood it had been her body Kemora had been occupying while visiting this Earth. She also understood that this Earth was about to suffer the same fate her own world had. She alone had survived that catastrophe. Even though her team had been very young and Earth's only defense at that time, they had had Zordon to help them; still they'd failed. Her world destroyed, Thomas had found her a place on a new world that needed her, a new team that needed to replace their Kimberly. A place where she had found a happiness that had been lost to her for a long time.

She had gotten her second chance, but what would happen to the world who's future she had help send spiraling out of control? Would it suffer the same fate as her home world? Was yet another planet doomed to die from what she had done while possessed by the demon Kemora? All this weighed heavily on her shoulders as they prepared for battle.

Urged by the older version of Billy to relax and wait for the assembly to come, they shifted uneasily again, then found seats where they could or wandered the small parameter of the bunker. The medical tables were still in use, but this time there was a different, smaller figure on them. Too nervous too simply sit, the young version of Kim wandered the parameter of the room until her eyes spied something of interest. Walking over, she tapped the glass of a large fish tank where two huge fantail goldfish wiggled and splashed to get her attention.

"Hey guys…" She crooned to them as they twisted and gyrated for her. "Who are you?"

"The fat round one is Alpha." An older version of Billy answered absently, startling her.

Turning, she watched him adjust a setting on the panel behind her, only then noticing that there were two older versions of Billy in the room. Alternates, she realized. Once again she marveled at K's abilities; wondering if those were powers she herself could develop. "And the other?" She asked.

"The long one with the big tail is Goldar." He answered, turning and coming up next to her.

"They're both long and fat." She responded with a twinkle in her eye and the older man's stern expression softened a bit.

"You can tell them apart better when they're hungry" He said. "Goldar gets very aggressive and she'll pick on Alpha and chase him around the tank."

"She?" Kim asked, a small grin twitching at the sides of her mouth.

"She." Billy firmly. "She's a brute that one. She'll even nip at your hand if you put it in the tank."

"I didn't know fish could have that much personality." She responded, taking a closer look at him. There was definitely a difference in the two men. Like identical twins, there were slight variances that set them apart. The resident Billy was the one before her, she realized. He frowned more and had deeper lines on his face that the other alternate. There was also a difference in the way the two felt; which she filed away for later reference. This one had a deeper resonance, as if he was heavier, or felt the weight of the Power heavier in his soul. She had no doubt the other one had known just as much adversity, but this one felt it more personally deep inside himself. She wondered at that; wondered at the future of her own Billy.



"Never underestimate a fish." He grumbled in response. "Even ones dumber than door knobs; like those two." He added, giving the tank a irritated look. She began to say something, then stopped as he looked curiously from the fish to her and back again.

"What is it?" She asked.

"They understand you're not Kimberly…uh…K." He said quietly, a deep frown on his face, "But they've also identified you as a similar or related species as K. Interesting… have you…"

"What have we here?" Tommy asked, rounding the corner from the living spaces and interrupting them. He was still tired, but sleeping was useless. He had to face facts, Jason wasn't coming back and that meant he also had to face the Red Assembly with a truth none of them wanted to hear. He had thought it simply another young Ranger talking to Billy next to the tank, there seemed to be so many of them lately, but as he drew closer, he realized that it was the other alternate; the younger one who Kemora had possessed when she had gone after his Kimberly the last time.

"Oh my…" He said quietly as he faced her; memories assaulting him as his eyes registered the adolescent features in front of him. She was painfully young. He didn't remember his Kim ever being that young, yet the eyes that turned up to meet his were far older and wiser than her childlike face. This was a girl who had seen far too much, far too early. "It's been a while." He said, for lack of anything better to say. "Do you remember me?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, evaluating him, then she shook her head no.

"I was there when Thomas took you away; after Kemora left you." He said simply, referring to the incident where he had very nearly lost his Kim, where his whole world had once again turned on a dime, and her eyes widened as she realized what he was referring to.

"I have no memory of that time." She said simply, measuringly, and he realized with a start that she was lying to him. Why, he wasn't sure; perhaps Thomas had instructed her to do so.

He regarded her for a few moments until she shifted uncomfortably, then let his gaze leave her eyes. It was then that he saw the small pendant around her neck; a gold heart lined with pink stones. The sight of it nearly toppled him. It had been years since he had seen a similar trinket. His heart constricted and his eyes burned with tears he absolutely refused to shed. Unconsciously, he reached up and touched the suspended pink heart, lifting it gently from where it rested on her chest. At her slight gasp, he looked up to see the surprised look on her face.

"Sixtieth Birthday?" He asked simply, not quite able to keep the emotion out of his voice. He had forgotten about that little pink heart. He hadn't seen his Kimberly wear it since she left for Florida when they were kids and wondered what had become of it.

His heart ached for his wife with renewed longing, his chest burning with the memories the little girl in front of him generated, and he struggled to maintain the control he'd fought the last few hours to procure. He desperately wanted his wife back and fought with all his inner strength to bury the emotions deeply within him. Meeting her eyes again, she nodded slowly, regarding the older man in front of her warily. "You take good care of that." He said softly, and she nodded again.

Wordlessly, he lowered the pendant back down and let go of it; a sad but amused smile forming as he noticed his younger alternate make a protective appearance through the archway. He should really send them home, he thought to himself. There was nothing for them to do here now that…his thoughts stopped still as a red glow appeared in the Command Center beyond the archway.

* * *

Kimberly waved to the boys on the mat with a little grin and then moved over to a table to watch them. She had been trapped as her former self for a little over three months and it was seriously about to drive her insane.

The emotions of the past twelve weeks had both exhausted and terrified her. Zordon was as baffled as she by what had happened. The only explanation was an Equaline Wave, but how or where it had begun was a mystery. The only rationalization for the untraceable beginning was that the wave had already altered history to the point where it's origin no longer existed, but blended seamlessly with the new timeline it was creating. Without her Muirantian powers, she was effectively trapped where she was and, as the wave continued to progress through history, she would eventually lose all memory of her past life and melt into the current timeline.

She had fought furiously to prevent this from happening, but there was also a small part of her that wondered if, perhaps, it might not be better to let things be. Would it really be so bad to do things over again? To change things in her favor? To re-write history so that the most horrible events in her life never happened? To never leave Tommy, to grow up and grow old with him, was more than a little appealing.

The problem was, she was still a Ranger. The adult in her knew that all the experiences of her life had made her who she was. If she erased that, she would become a completely different person. Her human death by the fires in the Muirantian volcano had changed her forever, but the good she'd been able to do with the power it gave her had touched thousands of lives. All of that would be lost forever if the Equaline Wave was allowed to progress. It was complicated and frustrating and she was ready to pull her hair out, but in the meantime, she had to participate with this team and live her old life or things would begin to distort even more than they already were.

The problem was, she had absolutely nothing in common with the Rangers at this age, often fighting the urge to parent them instead of play with them. She also missed her husband terribly. The boy he had been simply couldn't compare to the man he'd become anymore than she could go 

back and recapture the little girl inside her. She missed their conversations, missed the interactions, missed the sex. She simply couldn't bring herself to indulge the younger version of the man she loved in that way. It felt wrong, like she was cheating on him, although she knew if she couldn't stop the Equaline Wave she might seriously distort things by not cultivating that relationship.

That was when she realized that she truly loved her husband, not because she was indulging herself and trying to recapture some youthful experience of lost love, but because she had fallen in love with him again as an adult for completely different reasons. For the past few months since they had hastily moved in and insanely married one another, she'd marveled at her behavior and wondered why she'd done it. The whole whirlwind affair had scared her senseless and she'd asked herself countless times what she thought she was doing.

She had always remained bitter about being forced to give him up and she wondered if she truly loved him or was simply trying to selfishly recapture something that had been taken from her. Now, faced again with the boy and their young relationship, she realized she hadn't been clinging to the memory of a past un-relinquished love, hadn't married him to soothe a past heartache of her youth, she had genuinely fallen in love with the man. He was a difficult adult, possessive and driving, but she honestly loved the relationship they had been building together. He stretched her to be more than she was, saw potential in her she was hesitant to acknowledge. He balanced her and filled a void that had been empty for eons; a void that could not be filled by the boy. It wasn't the child in her that clung to the grown up Tommy, it was the woman who saw in him a kindred spirit; a friend, a lover, a partner. He'd been right, she mused; as he usually was.

As she watched the boy in front of her now, she realized that the younger version also missed his counterpart. He missed his girlfriend as much as she missed her mate, watching her surreptitiously with almost mournful eyes. He hadn't been very happy to be cut off, she mused, and truth be told, neither was she, but it wasn't what she wanted anymore and if she could somehow impart an adult perspective into him, he might actually realize it too; not that that was actually going to happen. In the meantime, until she could return to her own time or began at last to forget about it, she had told him very sternly that she wasn't his Kimberly and he needed to respect that. He had pouted for a few weeks, but as the changes in her persona become more and more evident, had eventually, reluctantly, accepted the restriction from the young body she inhabited.

Closing her eyes against the boys on the mats, she again allowed her thoughts to focus on the dangerous position she found herself in. Slowly, ever so slowly, her history as she knew it was being erased. Zordon still remembered her journeys into Angel Grove's past, but even as she struggled to find a way out of this timeline and back to her own, those memories were beginning to change, indicating everything she'd done with Thomas to stabilize her Earth's past was slowing being expunged.

The realization was terrifying. There were people depending on her; people she couldn't help as long as she was stuck in the past. The choice was clear. Although there was an appeal to allowing the wave to progress, allowing herself to change history and live a quiet life with Tommy, she had to put things back the way they were and face the fate that awaited her in her own time. She had lived a long and productive life; she could hold her head up and face the consequences of her actions. If she was lucky, perhaps she could make it back in time to say goodbye to him and tell him the realizations she'd come to; then again, that might only break his heart all over again.

She sighed heavily as her musings faded and she was brought back to the reality of the timeline in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied a familiar technique Adam and Tommy were trying out. It resembled a Phaedosian attack that Dulcea particularly favored for bipeds.

"What are you doing?" She asked, standing up and walking over to them.

"Dulcea used a series of moves I've never seen before." Tommy answered, still focused on Adam. "She had me flat on my back in less than a second. We were trying to figure it out, see if we could incorporate it against the Tengas."

"Oh." Kim answered quietly, kicking her shoes off and stepping onto the padded surface. "You're not doing it right." She said, taking the long straight Bo from a surprised Adam and getting the feel of its weight in her hand as she moved forward.

"What are you doing?" Tommy asked as she spun it a few times. He was in a rotten mood already today and really didn't have the patience for games. The girls didn't spar with them. It simply wasn't challenging and they weren't into it anyway… and they certainly never weighed in on technical issues.

"You want to learn or not?" Kim said absently, still twirling the wood Bo carelessly.

"Your funeral." Tommy said with a shrug. Yet another difference between his girlfriend and the being inhabiting her body, he thought bitterly. "What are you waiting for?" He asked, when she simply stood there.

"You." Kim answered as if it really didn't matter to her. "If you think you're strong enough to attack first." She added silkily. She'd done this same thing a thousand times with the younger students trying to prove their worth as Phaedosian warriors. It came as naturally to her as breathing and, it occurred to her, was yet another reason she had to go home. Her teenaged self would never have attempted to egg Tommy on; in ten years, her adult self wouldn't even do it.

He shrugged again, as if to say she asked for it, and in less than a second found himself flat on his back with a crack on his head; exactly as it had been on Phaedos.

"What the…?" He exclaimed, shaking his head of the ringing noise between his ears.

"Did I hurt you?" She asked in the same silky tone. When he simply stared at her with an incredulous look, she added, "I take it no. Next time I will." She said a little more firmly, adding, "Get up."



"Kim…"

"Do you want to learn it or not?" She replied, cutting him off with a sharp look. When he nodded his head, she added, "Then get up. We'll do this in slow motion."

For the next hour, she walked the boys through the attack and a series of counter defensive moves. They were fairly advanced techniques, but she went slowly and they caught on quickly. On their own, they'd be fine, but she simply didn't have the patience to go through the various counters Dulcea herself would use if they actually tried to go up against her again. Besides, those had taken her years to learn.

At the end of the hour, she called a halt to things and left them to keep practicing. Leaving the Youth Center behind her, she bypassed the shuttle and took off through the park instead. The mall could wait, she needed to think. She'd made it about half way through to the other side of the park when Tommy caught up with her.

"Hey!" He called, "Wait up a sec."

She turned silently and waited as he jogged up from behind.

"I just wanted to say… I mean, that was awesome back there. How did you..?"

"Skills from another life." She responded quietly, giving him a sad smile. She needed to find her way home. She didn't belong here and she knew it. She wouldn't rest, wouldn't accept defeat. She would put things back the way they needed to be. She wanted to go home to her husband.

"Well…" He said, still really not sure how to talk to this new Kim, "Thanks. I really appreciate it; the training I mean. You uhm, really kicked our butts." He added sheepishly.

"Hang in there." She answered with a grin, slapping his arm in a friendly gesture. "I guarantee it, another ten years and that won't happen." She said, thinking of the man he'd become. In just another decade, she'd never be able to toss him around the way she had this afternoon.

He regarded her curiously at those words. He missed her terribly, at least, he missed his Kimberly terribly. This new one was very similar, but also very different.

"How old are you?" He asked. "I mean, how old were you before you were sent back?"

"You really want to know?" She asked playfully, turning and walking down the path. He nodded and fell into step with her. "I'm not really sure." She admitted, giving him a mischievous look. "I lost count around two-hundred and forty-seven."

Tommy stopped, dead in his tracks, and she turned back to face him.

"No, you're teasing." He said, a hesitant, unbelieving smile on his face. "Humans don't live that long."

She folded her arms across her chest and gave him the saddest look he'd ever seen on her. After a moment she answered, "No, they're not supposed to. But sometimes it takes us that long to figure things out."

* * *

Tommy rushed through the archway just as the red glow faded, revealing the beat up Wild Force and alternate Turbo team. The cry of relief and jubilation coming from his chest was completely involuntary as he rushed forward and grabbed his Jason in a bear hug, slapping him across the back in relief and congratulations.

"You did it?" He half asked half declared, releasing the friend that was as close or closer to him than his own brother and slapping him in welcome once again.

"Sort of." Jason responded cryptically. He was so tired he was barely standing upright and Tommy immediately urged him to sit. The others, grateful to have returned, also sat or leaned on the countertops as the younger group of alternates moved to join their friends in the archway to allow space for the new comers.

"What's sort of ?" Tommy asked hesitantly, noticing for the first time how beaten up the group was and that Cole had apparently brought back some sort of baby animal that he was half cradling, half protecting in his arms.

"It's a long story." Jason said wearily. "Let's just say we had some technical difficulties. Kemora's still alive, if that's what you'd call it, but she's been banned from Muirantias; she's lost control of the pit."

Tommy's hand came down on his friend's shoulder, "That's the best news we've had all day." He said by way of congratulations.

"Is Kim back yet?" Jason asked gruffly, too tired to try and be social. "I have an issue I need to talk to her about."



Tommy froze, chest constricting. His hand fell away from his friend's shoulder and he straightened himself upward. "The girls didn't make it back." He said simply, surprised at the evenness in his voice. He hadn't thought he'd be able to actually vocalize the words. To say it, to hear it said, was to acknowledge a finality he'd been denying for hours.

"No." Jason responded, shaking his head. "Just give 'em a little more time. Kim didn't know exactly how long it would take. You still have a good hour or two past their scheduled return time."

"Jase," Tommy answered slowly, painfully. "There's no more time."

"Of course there is." Jason responded curtly, standing up from his chair. "We built an extra three hours into the safety net. The return times were only windows of opportunity, miss one, you catch another."

"Jase," Tommy said again, in the same sad but firm tone. "You and your team were gone over six hours. The final battle is about to begin. We thought you were lost too."

"_Six hours_?" Jason responded incredulously. "How is that possible? Kim set the crystals to return us in twenty minutes…forty at the latest." He said, shaking his head. He was so accustomed to her bending time that he never thought twice about it not working; it just did…always.

"If K doesn't exist anymore," The older alternate Billy suggested tentatively, "Then we might be able to assume that her ability to bend time no longer exists. The crystals she created returned you safely, but in real time."

"No." Jason said firmly, almost angrily. "I'd know, the pit would have resonated it…you'd know." He finished, giving Tommy an accusing look. "You knew the last time that she was still alive."

"I haven't felt her life force for hours." Tommy nearly whispered in a shaky, choking voice, swaying a bit with the enormity of what he was admitting. She was gone. He'd felt it the moment she'd begun to fade, as if she'd entered a long hallway, slowly moving away from him, and at its end, a door simply closed behind her. "She's gone."

There was complete and total silence in the Command Center as everyone watched the two friends stare at each other. Both alternate Tommy's moved closer to their girlfriends, intimately commiserating with the resident Tommy and his loss.

"No." Jason said finally, shaking his head and breaking the silence. "No." He growled again. "I just left the pit on Muirantias. Kim's definitely in control there. The phoenix detached itself…that thing is part of Kim's Phaedosian power coin…part Phaedosian crane spirit, part Muirantian fire…she controls it." He rationalized, omitting, because he simply couldn't stand the thought of losing her, that there was another Muirantian Kimberly now; someone who might just as easily have stepped into the shoes of his beloved friend.

"Maybe that part of her still lives." The older alternate Kimberly offered. When the others turned to her she added. "Maybe that part of her still goes on, even if the rest…" She let her sentence trail off. She had definitely felt K's prescience inside the pit. It had been a like gentle voice urging her to move past the pain and the terror, urging her toward the place where her Tommy was reaching out for her, helping her to hold on to him, to rebuild herself and find a way out.

"We could find out." The young alternate of Kimberly offered softly. The words had been barely audible, but in the silence of the room, they resonated. She looked uncertainly at the older, resident version of her Tommy. He seemed so incredibly sad. She understood all too well the kind of loss he was going through. Maybe she didn't understand the loss of his wife, she had only recently learned, with a shock, that the K had grown up and married her Tommy, but she understood the pain of losing someone you loved.

"How?" The resident Tommy asked, moving toward where she was standing in the archway. Unconsciously, she moved back a little behind her Tommy and the boy put a protective arm around her. She looked uncertainly at her boyfriend, then into the older version that belonged to K. He looked so tragic, so guardedly hopeful that maybe she had an answer he didn't.

"Thomas and Zordon both said I wasn't supposed to use those powers without them being with me." She whispered uncertainly, "But…"

"What powers?" The resident Jason asked, coming to stand next to his Tommy.

The young version of Kim looked uncertainly at her Tommy, who nodded encouragingly. Then she looked at her older alternate version as if asking if it was really ok. Her older self also nodded as well, so she turned her eyes back to K's Tommy.

"I wasn't supposed to live." She said simply, almost sheepishly, as if asking the older man to understand. "I don't really understand it, but Thomas says it's because Kemora possessed my body for so long…longer than anyone else. He says I have an in.." she paused as she struggled with the word. "…an innate…talent that most Kimberlys don't have, or very few have anyway. Something to do with time and dimensions. Something in my core makeup that activated with my first power coin and started growing stronger when Kemora took me over."

The older Tommy in front of her nodded encouragingly, as if he understood completely what she was talking about. She stole a glance at the other Kimberly present, but she was frowning, as if puzzling through something.

"Thomas said that part of what makes me different is what kept me alive through Kemora's possession. That I adapted somehow to her."

"Your body began processing her Muirantian energy." Jason said knowingly and the girl nodded.



Jason swung around and cursed audibly, startling everyone in the room. His fingers tore through his hair in frustration as he processed this new information. "Don't you see?" He growled bitterly, spinning back around and pointing a finger at the startled girl, "That's why he abandoned Kim and took off with the girl! He's started over. He knew the problems Kim was having with the moderators and when he saw the chance to simply begin again with another version, he cut his losses and ran." Jason spat with all the bitterness and grief inside him. "He's gonna sacrifice Kim to save his own ass and turn that poor girl into another K."

"Thomas saved me!" The young version of Kim cried out in defense of her hero, frightened by the older Jason's outburst. "He would never…"

"Girly…" Jason said, moving back towards her and, for her sake, putting as much kindness as he could over the bitterness in his voice. "Thomas doesn't save anything but his own agenda."

Tommy, realizing the conversation was disintegrating, stepped forward and moved himself in-between his friend and the girl, holding up a hand towards her as she opened her mouth to argue while simultaneously placing the other hand on his friend's shoulder as a silent warning to stop. "Enough." He said simply. Turning to the girl he asked gently, "What powers did Kemora leave you with?"

"I don't know exactly." She admitted, still upset by the resident Jason's outburst and words. She and shifted to lean against her Tommy, as if trying to draw strength and security from him. "I only know I'm supposed to tell Zordon immediately when I discover something else I can do."

"But you think you might be able to locate Kim…I mean K?" Tommy asked in the same, gentle commanding voice he used to help his students work through things. The girl nodded at him, then looked up at her Tommy for assurance.

"I know…I mean, I can feel the other Kimberlys. I know where they are, how to find them." She admitted reluctantly, as if the talent was one to be ashamed of, as if it linked her to the demon and made her just as evil.

"Jesus Christ." The resident Jason swore angrily, only to be given a sharp look by the resident Tommy which clearly told him he need to stop and move back. He placed two hands up in front of him, as if acknowledging that he wasn't helping things, and backed away, trying with all his might to control the anger boiling within him. There was no way in hell he'd let Thomas have this girl, let him destroy her life they way he'd destroyed his Kim's. He still had the phoenix crystal. Somehow, someway, he'd learn to use it well enough to keep that monster away from her.

"Do you think you can use this power to find K?" Tommy asked the girl gently.

"I think so." She replied hesitantly. "I mean, I know they exist, the other Kims, and I know where they are, how to sort of create a map to get to them. I just don't have the power to actually reach them."

"Not yet anyway." The resident Jason growled from the sidelines and this time was given an admonishing look by just about everyone in the room.

"But you can find out if she's alive?" Tommy pressed. He didn't want to sound hopeful, but he couldn't help it. If Jason was right and she was still connected to Muirantias, and this girl could find her…

"She has a very definite feel to her." The girl answered. "I mean, everyone has a kind of aura, a feeling about them."

"K explained it to me as a different morphanological signature. A resonance, a difference in the way the Great Power moves within them." Tommy offered.

"Yes!" The girl answered excitedly. "That's exactly it. Some have stronger connections, some weaker, all of them feel it differently and that translates into….oh I dunno how to say it, it …_feels_… you can tell it's different for each of them, even though they're the same."

Tommy smiled warmly at the girl and walked forward, closing the distance between them. Taking both her hands in his, he asked earnestly, "Then will you try and find my Kim for me?"

As the young girl looked up into the serious face of the man before her, her heart melted for him. It was difficult to imagine her Tommy growing up to be like him. He was so stern and severe, nothing at all like the boy she was in love with; and she was, she admitted giddily to herself, in love with him. If the situation was reversed and it was her Tommy left alone to wonder about her fate, wouldn't she want K to help him?

"I can find her." She said confidently, "I can tell you if she's alive or at what point and where she stopped living, but I can't tell you how to get to her. I don't know the words to describe how I know where the other Kims are or were. I just know."

Tommy felt his shoulders drop in relief at the girl's words. He had begun to accept he might never know what had happened to his wife, but if the girl could tell for sure that she was gone, maybe he could begin to move through it.

It was the not knowing that was the worst. He knew that he couldn't feel her anymore, that the link between them had been broken, he could only assume that meant she was lost to him, but if Jason said she was still in control of the pit, did that mean she was truly gone? Part of him didn't want to know for sure, wanted to hold onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, she still survived, but another, bigger part of him knew he would never survive the wondering. One way or another, he needed to know. Squeezing the girl's hands gently, he closed his eyes, "Then use your powers to tell me." He said softly.



The girl looked hesitantly at her Tommy again, then, pulled her hands from the other Tommy and moved away from them. She had confided in her boyfriend what she could do, how much it frightened her, but he'd never actually seen her do it. Part of her was afraid to expose it. It was like admitting a dark and terrible secret. An addiction that she hadn't been able to conquer. She hated herself for wanting to explore this power, but she couldn't help it either. It was like breathing, it just happened. It wasn't just the living Kimberlys she could track down either. Sometimes, occasionally, she could feel the ghosts of the alternates Kemora had killed, including the traces of the Kimberly she had replaced; which is how she knew she could discover for sure what had happened to K.

But she'd only been able to call on this power when she was alone; not in a room full of people staring at her. She desperately hoped that she'd be able to pull it off now that she'd promised she could. Shaking off the worst of the nerves, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the specific signature that was K. Every Kimberly was connected, no matter how different they were, alive or dead, and she could still always find them when Thomas asked her to. She didn't know how she did it, realized the power she possessed was a fraction of the power Kemora had, but she still knew that she could do it.

"She's not on Muirantias." She said definitely, realizing as she said it that she was admitting she knew of the island, admitting her own tenuous associations to it. "Her connection is still there though." She added, noting silently that the other alternate Kimberly in the room also now seemed to have a connection to the pit. She would say no more than what she had though; she had given her word to Thomas never to speak of the island again. She did, however, understand what Jason meant by K being in control of the pit inside the new temple there. She sensed the same thing but knew, as he didn't, that it wasn't K herself that was in control, but K's link to her former coin.

The power within the pit had animated the coin, given it a life of its own that it would never have otherwise had outside of Kimberly; that it was never intended to have. K herself was no more than an resonance here. The same way a spirit animal was spirit or an echo of the Ranger, K had become an echo of the living breathing life force her coin had become. The prospect tweaked her curiosity, but it was not what she was searching for.

Turning her mind firmly away from the Muirantian temple and Muirantias itself, she searched again for any sign of the distinctive timbre that was K. What she found baffled her. She'd never experienced anything like it. The confusion showed plainly on her young face to those gathered around her in the tiny Command Center.

The harder she pushed forward toward the signature she knew was K, the further she was removed from it. It was like nothing she had ever encountered; with Thomas or without him. In one final hard push to move past the resilient barrier that was keeping her at bay, she willed herself to connect with K, only to be slammed backward by a force that both startled and terrified her. She opened her eyes with a distressed cry and fell backward, as if someone in the room had forcefully pushed her down while her eyes were closed.

Instantly, her young Tommy lunged forward, placing his arm around her and helping her sit up. "What happened?" He asked, the concern for her obvious.

"She's not dead." The young Kim said in a confused voice. "I don't know how to describe it, she's there…but not. It's like she's contained in something. Something's blocking her, keeping her apart from the rest of…" She stopped, not knowing the words to explain what she'd felt.

"Contained as in containment orb?" The older, resident Tommy asked her cautiously. His eyes met those of the resident Jason's and they exchanged wary glances.

"What's a containment orb?" The young Kim asked, looking back and forth between the two men.

"It's a type of force field that contains beings the continuum moderators can't control." Jason answered gloomily, ignoring the frowns and confused looks he generated from the others.

"You think the moderators caught up with her before she could reach the crystal?" Tommy asked. If she was in an orb, she wasn't dead. Kim would survive far longer than a normal human would; especially if she retained her connection to Muirantias. Perhaps, just maybe, there was hope.

"If they found her and put her in an orb," The resident Rocky interjected, surprising the others who hadn't seen him enter the Command Center, " Then they would have had to separate her from Carri and Karone."

"What's that got to do with it?" The resident Jason asked.

"It means," Rocky continued, walking further into the room until he was next to Tommy, "That's why the girls missed their return window. Carri would never, ever, let Kim be captured and then return without her. She and Karone are probably out searching for her right now, trying to get her back."

"He's right." The alternate Carri said, nodding her head when those in the room turned toward her. "It's what I would have done. I would have missed the time window and gone after Kim, especially if I knew she had the power to open another window back to this timeline once she was rescued."

"Carri?" The young alternate of Rocky asked, stepping forward to look more closely at the older woman. "Carri Hillard?" He asked again. "You're a Ranger?" He almost squeaked.



The woman turned and looked at the boy with a half stern, half amused look on her face. "In my world." She answered measuringly, remembering what K had said to the other Carri before they left about influencing the alternates. Then, turning to her own Rocky she murmured, "God, I forgot how skinny you were in high school."

The older, alternate Rocky gave her an amused, tolerant look, then swatted her butt in a half concealed affectionate gesture that no one in the room missed. The younger version gaped at the two, causing the resident version to grin. Meeting the resident Tommy's eyes, he exchanged a glance that said he was just as tortured by the missing girls as his friend was. "If she's lost," Rocky said firmly, referring to their Kimberly, "Carri will move mountains to find her."

* * *

Carri paused briefly as she pushed the gear shift of her small rental car into park in front of the Small Reefside art Gallery. This was it, her last shot at recapturing her lost life.

She had flown into LA two days ago, nearly a week after she had formally left her so-called husband. He'd been furious, as she predicted, but she figured it had more to do with the three million in cash she'd absconded with than her walking out…or possibly the letter to the IRS detailing his millions of dollars in shady dealings, both on and off shore; she wasn't quite sure which.

She'd spent the first night in LA before finally mustering the courage to drive to Angel Grove and track down Rocky. She'd found him at the park with a very pregnant Marie, playing wiffle ball with his two year old son. The sight had crushed her. From the sidelines, she'd watched him patiently try to teach the toddler how to use a bat for the better part of an hour, then simply walked away. It was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life, but what else could she have done? She asked herself. She'd seen far too many women move in on her father to ever consider taking him from his children. Her heart was shattered, but any musings she might have harbored in the days before about taking him back were carefully packed away where they could be forgotten; or at least not acted upon.

The next night had been spent on the beach crying for all she had lost in her former life and plotting one last ditch effort to get it all back. As the sun rose and the beach illuminated, she picked herself up and headed back to her hotel room to clean up and pack. Within an hour, she was on the small coastal road that would take her up to Reefside and the gallery where she knew Kimberly worked.

Sitting in front of that gallery, however, her determination left her. What if she really was crazy? What if it was all some sort of a nightmare induced by drugs and alcohol? What if she needed medication to control hallucinations?

She closed her eyes against the thoughts and banged her head softly, but firmly against the steering wheel. If it was an illusion, she wouldn't know who Kimberly Heart-Oliver was. Her cousin Katherine had been killed in a diving accident before ever moving to Angel Grove. There was no connection that would have put the name Kimberly Heart into Carri's brain. Even if it was some sort of psychosomatic connection between the semi-famous gymnast and her imagination, she would never have known who Rocky DeSantos was; let alone Marie. Rocky was hardly famous, she could find very little at all about him on the web except for an advertisement and corporate records for his two karate schools.

Her eyes shifted to the passenger seat where the two most overwhelming pieces of evidence of her former life sat. Her gold panther power coin from Phaedos gleamed at her in the afternoon sun shining through the passenger window as if asking her what she was waiting for. Next to it was the TV remote that she had smashed against the wall when she found out Lizzie Banna had copied her television show; a remote that didn't match any television in any of her households. It still had the dings and white scratches where it had smashed into the drywall and broken apart.

She had tucked it away in her pocket before she left, she remembered with an aching heart, because she knew that, if she didn't return, he would keep the television the remote belonged to. Leaving him behind with a fifty odd inch flat screen television and no remote to power it had seemed the most evil revenge she could take on him for having a baby with Jessica. At least, at the time it had seemed evil, now it was just a beat up reminder that he was gone and could never be part of her life.

Carri took a long, shaking breath and buried her face in her hands. She had another life she belonged to, she had to hold on to that knowledge. Inside the art gallery was the only woman who might know how to send her back. Steeling herself, she grabbed the power coin, opened the car door, and got out.

The gallery itself was smaller than she thought it would be, but, then again, Tommy was nothing if not economical. The room was tastefully decorated with a small sofa and coffee table off to one side, a counter to the other.

"Can I help you?" A familiar voice asked. Looking up, Carri watched Kim emerge from a back room and walk around the small counter. There was absolutely no recognition in her face when her eyes met Carri's.

"I really hope so." Carri replied, holding out her panther coin.

She watched as Kim looked down at the coin, watched with all-consuming relief as recognition rolled across her face. She looked up and met Carri's eyes warily, her body moving slightly into the familiar ready-like stance, which meant she was shifting into Ranger mode.

"What do you want?" Kim asked her carefully.

"I want to go home." Carri replied. "I want my life back."



* * *

Kat sighed heavily as she sat down behind the infirmary's counter, eyes curiously watching Malek and Cassie slip quietly together, hand in hand, out the door.

"When did that happen?" She asked Ashley, who was feeding her daughter a bottle in the other chair. The day had been long and hard, and filled with everything from childbirth to splinters. One thing was certain, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that, if she couldn't be a professional dancer, she had been right to choose teaching over nursing. She was exhausted and would be very grateful when her shift ended in another half an hour.

"I think just now." Ashley responded with a mischievous gleam and the two exchanged mutually amused looks over the new lovers.

"I'm happy for her." Kat answered, leaning back in her chair and surveying the now empty room to see if she'd missed anything that needed doing. "It's been a long time coming her way."

"How are things between you and Chris?" Ashley asked, removing the empty bottle from her daughter's mouth and placing the half sleeping infant on her shoulder to burp her.

"Fine." Kat answered, shrugging slightly.

"You sure?" Ashley pressed. The scene between them had been heated and Kat hadn't said one word about her fiancé all day.

"He doesn't understand." Kat answered simply. "How can he understand Ashley? He knows nothing of this world, I don't want him to know anything about this world. He thinks I'm hiding something from him and he's right; I am."

"Kat…" Ashley began tentatively, then paused. She had known Kat for a long time; all through college, all through her breakup with Tommy, all through her relationship with Chris. Still, she wasn't sure if she really wanted to say what had been bugging her since Kat's engagement. "Are you sure?" She asked cautiously, "Are you sure you want to go through with things? With Chris I mean?"

Kat bristled slightly and swiveled her chair a bit in the opposite direction, but bit back the terse reply that had nearly crossed her lips. "I know you and the others don't like him very much." She said instead. "He doesn't like my high school and college friends either."

"It's not that we don't like him." Ashley said softly, "It's just that…" She paused as her daughter gave a mighty burp more appropriate for a sailor than a baby, then settled into a deep sleep against her shoulder. "It's just that we all want you to be sure this is right for you. You're still part of the Rangers…"

"I'm not." Kat said firmly, eyes flashing. "Tommy made damn sure of that."

"Tommy was scared for you." Ashley said in a low, but firm voice. "Andros said as much. He said Tommy wanted desperately to protect you from what he couldn't pull away from. He fretted constantly that he was going to bring trouble home and, without your powers, you might be hurt or killed." She said. Then, when Kat didn't respond, she added, "Tommy's old school Kat. Civilians are shut out and kept in the dark for their own protection. It never meant you weren't still part of our society."

"It ruined our relationship." Kat said quietly and Ashley nodded in both understanding and commiseration.

The half of the time Andros told her what he was up to she was worried sick, the half of the time he didn't tell her she was furious with him. It was a double edged sword being married to an active Ranger; especially if he was a lifer with no intention of giving it up.

"Chris is a good man." Kat added firmly. "Why doesn't anyone want to give him credit for that?"

"Maybe because he dropped out of college to pursue a carrier in the golf shop at Angel Grove Country Club?" Ashley asked sarcastically, although she really hadn't meant it to come out sounding so mean. "We're worried about you Kat." Ashley soothed, reaching out to put a supportive hand on her friend's arm. "Andros and I are anyway; Cassie too. We don't want to see you struggle."

"I'm not struggling." Kat said defensively. At Ashley's skeptical look she added, "He's loyal and he's caring and he adores me. I never have to wonder where he is or who he's with. He spontaneously brings me flowers and is constantly doing little things to make me smile. He comes from a great family…"

"He's also perpetually broke." Ashley said frankly, getting to the crux of her aversion to Kat's fiancé. He was lazy and passive and more than willing to let Kat take care of him the rest of his life.

"He's not broke." Kat said quietly.

"Kat…" Ashley started to argue, but Kat shook her head and held up her hand.

"He doesn't like me talking about it." She said in a confidential tone. At her friend's frown, she leaned a little closer. "His dad is retired now, has been since before I even met Chris, but before he was some sort of top executive at a really prestigious corporation. He's worth more than my uncle, Carri's dad. Chris is their only child and will be the sole beneficiary when his father passes. Money's not a problem, his parents take care of him."

"Then why are you two always so short?" Ashley asked.

"Because it's doled out in a monthly allowance that his parents control." Kat said reluctantly, fiddling absently with a piece of paper. "He doesn't work because he knows his parents will pay off his bills every month."

"If that's the case, why are you two living in a small townhouse pinching pennies?" Ashley retorted. She'd been privy to far too many of Kat's fretting over money to believe the little weasel in wire glasses, as her husband privately referred to Kat's fiancé, was worth millions.

"Because I hate the idea of being dependent on them for money; going begging to them every month." Kat said honestly. "And because at first Chris's parents didn't like me very much." She said with a frown, as if remembering something unpleasant. "Oh they do now," She clarified. "I adore Chris's mom and she loves me to death too, but at first they thought maybe I only liked him for his dad's money, so they cut him off for a while to let him get a taste of the real world…even now they only pay his half of the bills. But the point is that Chris didn't leave me Ash, he told his parents to stick it, he loved me and he didn't care if he lost all his inheritance over me. Does that sound like a bad person to you? He stood up for me because he loved me, he was even willing to live for nearly two years without mommy and daddy bailing him out every month. But that's all in the past. Eventually they warmed up to me and everything is fine now. His mother even gave him this ring to give to me."

"He still didn't go out and get a job Kat."

"Because he knew he didn't have to." Kat defended. "He's his parents only child, he's never had to work or take life seriously." She said, and at Ashley's skeptical look she added. "Look, I know the situation, I know he'd rather play than work, that he doesn't take life nearly as seriously as I do, that I'm going to be the one taking care of him and managing everything, but I've accepted that role. I know what I'm getting into and I know what I'm getting in return. He's a good man Ashley. Yes, he has his faults, but everyone does. So he's spoiled and hasn't had to work very hard at surviving, his good points outweigh his not so good ones."

"So you're marrying him for his money?" Ashley asked incredulously.

"No, of course not." Kat argued. "I'm marrying him because I truly love him. I want to be with him, he's a good friend, a good person. He'll make a great husband and a wonderful father someday. As angry as we get at each other sometimes, we complete each other… that and the sex is bloody awesome."

The last statement was so un-Kat-like that Ashley laughed out loud, wakening her daughter. The two friends giggled together like teenagers while Ashley rocked and lulled her baby back to sleep before a comfortable silence descended upon the two in the now quiet infirmary.

"Chris doesn't like the secrecy." Kat finally said at last.

"What secrecy?" Ashley asked, her mind having wandered during the lull in the conversation.

"Every time we get together with my high school or college friends." Kat explained. "They all seem to be superficially polite to him, then they drift off into their little circles and exclude him. He feels like they're all in some secret snobby society that he can't be part of; like he's intruding if he tries."

"He can't be part of it Kat." Ashley said simply.

"I know." Kat said sadly. "And believe me, the bigger part of me is very glad for that. I don't want him part of this, I want that part of my life separate. But sometimes, like now, I wish I could explain it to him. Let him know that the person I am today is because of what I went through as a Ranger. Let him know the vows and oaths I've taken to protect this world, that Carri didn't rope me into this, I was a Ranger long before she was. I'm so proud of what I accomplished in my tenure, but I can't share any of that with him. I want so desperately to explain to him I have to go back and serve now because I owe the Rangers so very much. I owe them for making me what I am, preparing me to be a leader, the one who gets things done, the one who hangs in there and wants to make the world a better place."

"He already knows." A voice said from the doorway. Startled, both women turned to see Kat's fiancé standing in the doorway.

* * *

Carri woke to an overly bright light. It was painfully intense and she groaned her protest, placing both hands over her eyes and trying to roll away. The problem was, she couldn't move away from it. Everywhere she turned, the light followed her.

"Hey," Kim's voice rang loudly in her ears. "Sleeping Beauty." The voice admonished, and Carri felt herself roughly shaken. "Time to wake up and face the limelight."

Carri groaned again and turned toward the direction the voice had come. Her eyes cracked open unwillingly to let a little more of the brightness in, but to her surprise, the lights outside her eyelids were much dimmer than when she had them closed.

"What the hell?" She mumbled, genuinely confused. The last thing she remembered was arguing with Oliver about how to get her back to Phaedos. They'd set her up in their tiny guest room and called it a night and she'd gratefully fallen asleep to the sound of rain pelting the windows outside.

"That's exactly what I said." Another voice groaned from the other side of her.

It was Karone's voice and if Karone was there…she wasn't in Reefside anymore. Opening her eyes a little more, she saw Kim's familiar face, but it was her Kim, not the artist and mom to two kids and a small pack of smelly dogs. A little distance away, she spied Karone's seated form leaning heavily against a stone wall; blond head pressed against the palms of her hands as if she too were trying to shake off some sort of deep sleep.

"What happened?" Carri asked.

"I'm not sure." Kim answered, eyes glowing red and looking around her as if she might glean something from their bland, gothic stone chamber surroundings. "But I will say that- that was the most peculiar quest I've ever been dumped into the middle of."

"Quest?" Carri asked, coming fully awake. They'd been on a quest for the Triad crystal, why the hell hadn't she remembered that? "It was all a fucking dream?" She nearly shrieked. All the stress, all the heartache, all the tears, it had all been in her head? She was going to fucking strangle that little Chinese cartoon…

"Oh no, it was real." Kim answered, standing up and cutting off Carri's line of thought.

She'd recovered more quickly than the other two, possibly because her Muirantian powers were not only back, but somehow quadrupled. She'd also thought it was a dream, until she'd felt the little pink heart pendent around her neck. It was the necklace Tommy had given her for her sixteenth Birthday; the one she'd lost somehow on Divatox's ship on the first journey to Muirantias. She'd worn it every day since discovering it in her younger self's jewelry box and it had apparently come forward with her when she'd somehow been transported back to her own timeline. She had no memory of how she'd gotten back into the room. She'd fallen asleep in Zordon's Power Chamber while experimenting with a few illicit remnants of Zedd's old Rock of Time.

"How can you tell?" Carri fired back. "It's all mashed up in my head. Last thing I remember I was arguing with your stupid husband over how I came into possession of one of Ninjor's power coins. I kept telling him it was Dulcea who had given it to me…and he didn't even know who she was! Can you imagine? Who the hell is Ninjor?"

"A coin master Zordon used to work with." Kim responded, turning to walk the perimeter of the room. "Dulcea was one of his students. He actually pre-dates her by several millennia."

"Yeah well…" Carri continued to rant, simply because she couldn't stop herself. "Oliver was a frek'n race car driver Kim."

"Who was?" Karone asked, lifting her face out of her hands.

"Her husband." Carri said, pointing at Kim. "What the hell was that about? This is the same guy who's all anal about seatbelts and who actually drives twenty-five miles an hour through school zones…the whole school zone….sign to frek'n sign"

"Tommy raced his uncle's cars for two years right after he graduated high school." Kim answered, still looking around the stone room with her Muirantian vision for any sign of an exist.

"He did?" Carri asked, scrunching up her eyes to see Kim nodding at her. Her head hurt worse than the hangover she'd woken up with on her first night in the alternate reality and she wondered briefly if she was going to throw up.

"He was actually really good at it." Kim said in the same absent tone, still walking around the room. "And he loved it."

"So what happened?" Carri asked, curious now.

"He had a choice." Kim said, stopping to look at her. "His teacher, Anton Mercer, got him into a fast paced PhD program. He had to decide what to do. Racing cars was fun, but really expensive, and he thought the PhD and a chance to work one on one with Mercer would be more beneficial to his other work with the Rangers."

Carri thought hard about the choices they had all made and the consequences they had generated. One little introduction to Kimberly ten years ago had completely changed her life. Without that simple introduction, she'd become a totally different person. Looking up, she noticed Karone staring at her.

"What?" She asked, an acidic edge in her voice.

"Nice hair." Karone drolled from the opposite wall.

"Huh?" Carri asked, hand reaching up to her head. Her long, silky hair was gone and in its place was the straw-like bob she'd cropped it into. "Oh my god…It was real? It wasn't a dream?"

In response Karone held up a gold Phaedosian power coin. "Dulcea said the only way back to my timeline was through the Temple. I got a spirit animal to help guide me."

"Lemme guess," Carri fired off without thinking. "The snake?"

Karone's eyes narrowed and she shot the other woman an sour look. "Mongoose." She answered simply.

"Same dif." Carri groaned, pulling herself up into a sitting position. She winced as something in her back pocket cut into her backside, reaching around, she pulled the little remote out of her back pocket and simply stared at it.

"Oh let me guess, while the rest of us were trapped in alternate realities fighting for our lives, you got to sit back and watch a freak'n soap opera marathon." Karone spat.

Carri reared up, eyes blazing and ready to tell her exactly what road to hell she could take when the walls simply began to move around them. The stone slid back as easily as a curtain being drawn, exposing a blinding white light.

"I think we've reached the end of our quest." Kim observed quietly.

* * *

Tommy's eyes scanned the packed Assembly room, finally meeting Jason's and ending in a significant look between the two friends. Tommy had essentially nixed Jason and Kim's plan to purge the grids by one or the other sacrificing their life-force. It simply wasn't worth it. He understood why they were willing to do it, would have offered to do it himself, but the facts remained that they were facing the end of a planet, not an end to their society.

The Rangers job was now not to save a planet, but save the population of that planet. Thanks to Andros's efforts, they had a place to go. A whole new life in another galaxy was waiting for them. Jason's powers would be better served helping in the evacuations to come and in protecting the young alternate Kim from Thomas. New grids could be utilized on the new planet, the old ones could simply be shut down after Teeg left to insure they didn't fall into the wrong hands.

As the room quieted and the last of the Rangers found their seats, Tommy's eyes surveyed the assembled Rangers once again. It was truly awe inspiring to him to know that ten short years before there had been only five young Rangers to defend Earth against the forces of evil. His eyes found the young alternates of that team and he marveled at their youth; knowing as he did so that they were already veterans themselves. He turned and found the other alternate team, morphed in their Turbo uniforms to protect their identities as alternates, and wondered what they thought of the large gathering. He wondered if they were as astounded as he was that a simple decade had seen the Ranger forces grow so exponentially. He thought briefly of Zordon and what his old master would have thought of an entire room full of Power Rangers. He would have said no force in the universe could stop them, Tommy mused silently.

"I want to thank all of you for joining the Assembly here this afternoon." He began, feeling all eyes riveted on him. "I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of all of you. You have come together, from separate teams, from separate backgrounds, with separate agendas, and in a simple forty-eight hours have merged together and combined your talents more effectively than any megazord."

Tommy paused and again took in the assembly, thinking of his wife and how she had simply marched in an begun giving orders. He thought of how the Rangers jumped to the challenges she offered them.

"Your efforts have not been in vain." He said, squaring his shoulders and preparing himself for what had to be said. "At this juncture, Teeg's forces have begun to maneuver into position for their final attack. Most, if not all, of the population is sheltered and Andros's efforts have secured us a place to take them. Jason and the Wild Force team, along with some new friends, have defeated the demon Kemora and kept her from obtaining enough power to be of any threat to us in this final fight. And even now our friends on Eltar, Aquitar, Rheiga, and elsewhere, are racing to our aide."

He paused and closed his eyes, gathering all his strength for what he had to say next. "Unfortunately," He added in a surprisingly calm and even voice, "Kimberly, Carri, and Karone, failed to return from their mission to procure a power source strong enough to purge the grid system of Teeg's contaminates." He paused and let the significance of his words set in and there was a slight murmuring from the crowd. "Their fate," Tommy continued, "As of now, is uncertain. However, the fact remains that we have only cleared one grid and it's unstable at best."

He paused again and inhaled deeply. "We have a decision before us that needs to be made as a group. We are all Rangers here, all leaders. We must now decide among us what is more important; our world or our people. There is a way to purge the grids without the power source Kim was seeking, but it would require the life energy of one of our own. Jason has volunteered to sacrifice himself for that cause, as I'm sure many of you would too, but I've vetoed that idea. Although we, as Rangers, will all willingly lay down our lives in the fight against evil, I don't believe we should needlessly do so if there are other options are open to us."



"Can't we give Kimberly and the others more time?" Carter asked, and a few other reds supported and echoed his question, surprising him with how popular his wife seemed to have become with them.

"Teeg has begun the process of opening the towers." Billy responded from the front of the room near Jason. "We're effectively out of time."

"What about the Equaline Wave?" Wesley asked. "Timeforce needs Kim's help. They've almost…"

The room began to erupt into multiple conversations until Tommy raised his hands and they quieted down again. "Inside each of those towers," Tommy began in a resonating voice that cut short the last remnants of conversation, "Is a fully functioning megazord." Tommy said with a look that he hoped told them the overwhelming odds they were now facing.

Again the room erupted, but Tommy controlled it. As the room once again grew silent, he added, "We have the manpower, we have the talent, we have the will to fight this battle, what we don't have is grid power. If we resist, Teeg will instruct each of those megazords to combine into one giant ultra-zord that will have more than enough power to incinerate the Earth. All will perish." He paused and regarded them again, but this time only silence met him. "Without the grids, we don't have the morphing power necessary to stop those megazords from combining. What we need to decide now is…"

"The grids are clear!" Hayley all but screamed as she burst into the Assembly room. "The grids are clear!"

All heads turned in her direction to see her fly down the steps from the entrance, followed closely by a man who Tommy vaguely recognized as a scientist from Lightspeed. She plowed into him, grabbing both his arms and spinning him around three-sixty in an effort to come to a stop, oblivious to the dozens of eyes on her.

"Don't ask me how." She rambled, shaking her head at his wide-eyed look and gasping for air as she skidded to a halt. "It was like a light switch, one cleared and then it was like a cascade effect. They just started purging themselves."

"Oh yee of little faith." Carri called in a saucy voice from the doorway, causing every head in the room to turn in her direction.

Any sound Tommy might have made at the sight of the three girls standing at the top of the stairs, morphed except for their helmets, was drowned out by Rocky's loud whoop, which impressively continued as he all but ran across the seated rows of Rangers in an effort to reach them. He didn't stop his exclamation until reached her and grabbed her up in the biggest bear hug he could manage around her bulky armor. She leaned into him silently, armored arms linking around his neck as tightly as she dared, hardly believing she was really back in her own time and dimension.

"What happened to your hair?" He nearly sobbed, fingers digging into the short strands.

"Don't ask." She grumbled, pulling his head down to kiss him.

The other two exchanged patient smiles behind her back before quickly moving down the stairs themselves; Karone to her brother and Kim into Tommy's waiting arms.

"It's good to see you off that bed." She murmured as the tight hug went on longer than was technically appropriate. Neither of them cared and both knew those in the assembly watching didn't either. A group of lost Rangers had come home; all knew the world could wait a little while their teammates welcomed them back.

"It's good to see you period." He growled into her hair. He kissed her forehead, cheek, and neck half a dozen times before kissing her exactly how he'd sworn he would if he ever got the chance again. Another miracle save, he thought dimly through the overpowering emotions assaulting him. However long it lasted, he had her back for just a little while longer.

Overwhelmed and exhilarated, it took him a few minutes to become aware of her uniform. It was big and bulky and dwarfed her…and it was red.

"Red." He said simply, still holding onto her with shaking arms, but stepping back a fraction of an inch in order to take the new armor in. It was like nothing he'd ever seen on a Ranger. The core spandex was a deep shade of red, almost as deep as his new Zeo uniform, but it sparkled as if it contained cranberry colored metallic dust. There was a thick muted, steel colored shield around her shoulders and chest plate as well as other thick metal accent shields from her forearms up to her elbows and at her hips, thighs and boots. How she moved in all that armor, he hadn't a clue and the random thought occurred to him that, if that was her new standard issue, he'd hate to see the battlizer.

"It suits you." He grinned, avoiding the comment that she kind of reminded him of Lord Zedd.

"Primus is into over-kill." She responded cryptically. "I hate it…but it works."

Securing a protective hold around her waist, he laughed soundlessly, tears threatening his eyes, then turned to look for the other two. The assembly had broken up a little until the Zeos had sufficiently welcomed their girls home, but he could still see them through the crowd. There was, he noticed, not one skirt among the three of them.

Karone looked like a thick gold statue; gold accent shields, similar to Kimberly's, blending almost chameleon like into gold sparkling spandex. Carri on the other hand, was a dark contrast to the other two. Her shield armor was a thick , shiny black metal covering what looked like sparkling purple spandex.

"Purple?" He asked quietly into Kim's ear, head jerking in Carri's direction.

"Black." Kim responded firmly, eyes warning him to listen to her. "Definitely black. Don't let her hear you call her the purple Ranger; she'll slap you."

Tommy's eyes turned back to hers and he grinned at the twinkle he saw there. "God it's good to have you home." He told her in a voice dripping with more emotion than she'd heard from him in a long time. The twinkle faded from her eyes, replaced by an echoing sadness that told him her return wasn't forever. "I don't care for how long." He said, voicing what she wouldn't.

She began to speak, but was interrupted by Jason, who was just as adamant to have a chance to welcome her back as her husband had been. Jason was followed by Billy and then by Cole and then by more Rangers than she could keep track of. For one brief moment at the dawn of the greatest battle the Earth and its Rangers had ever seen, the Red Assembly celebrated the return of its own. For a few simple seconds, time stood still and allowed them one brief reprieve to renew their spirits, refresh their souls, and prepare for the carnage to come.


	22. Chapter 22: Season's End Part 1

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 22: Season's End: Part 1

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri, including Kat's fiancé Chris and Rhianna, belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

_**The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

_**

* * *

**_

**Author's Note:** For more information on Rhianna and why the alternates reacted as they did, check out KJ's Legacy series. Enjoy!

SPOILER ALERT: Events in this chapter and the next occur after the ending of _The Alternate_ and will elude to its outcome.

* * *

The room was still chaotic and overexcited nearly ten precious minutes after the return of the girls when Tommy, his arm still firmly around his wife's waist, called for attention and the Rangers began to take their seats. But before he could switch gears back into battle mode, Kim disconnected herself from him as the Mystic Force team gained her attention. She crossed the room towards them, returning hugs and smiles that earned her a indulgent, if frustrated, look from her husband. His eyes caught Jason's, silently asking him to begin the meeting, then turned to follow her out of the room.

"Here." Odonna said, reverently handing Kim a velvet wrapped box as the group moved towards the exit. Kim took the box, unwrapping it carefully, and peered inside. Within, was a white glowing orb, not unlike the one Tommy had been encased in.

"It was not given up easily." Odonna continued. "We missed our return window, which is why we were unable to meet with you before you left on your own quest."

"There's no need to explain." Kim said absently, fingers raising the orb up to her eye level. Behind her, she felt Tommy approach the group, and turning, watched him give Edward a near hostile glance. She frowned at him, but didn't have time to deal with her husband's prejudices. Turning her head back around, she continued to study the orb with her Muirantian vision.

At Kim's frown, Tommy tried his best to steel his expression against Edward, but he still didn't trust the man. How he'd been given access to the Red Assembly's meeting place, he didn't know, but the presence of his former enemy just before a huge battle for Earth seriously unnerved him.

He owed Edward, as he was now called, he hadn't forgotten that, but he didn't like his wife sneaking out into the hall with him either; even if the entire Mystic Force team went with her. Frowning again, he wondered what his wife was up to; until he saw the orb. Glancing up again at Edward, who's eyes were riveted to the glowing sphere, he realized with a start how gaunt and pale the man was. To Tommy, his old adversary suddenly looked very old and very frail. That was when he realized just who was in the orb Kim held. Surprisingly, Tommy's attitude softened a little for the man. He still hated him, but he could also commiserate with the loss of a beloved spouse.

"Can you release her?" Odonna asked hopefully, wringing her hands. All of Mystic Force pressed around her anxiously, all hopeful, and not a single one in any way disturbed as Kim's eyes glowed a brighter red.

"No." Kim said at last, lowering the orb. As one, all around her deflated.

"Why not?" Daggeron asked. "You're the most powerful sorceress left to us. If you can't…"

"Powerful in the Mystic Realm." Kim corrected. "Not necessarily on the surface."

"Then let's go!" Nick exclaimed, frustrated by yet another setback.

"I can't." Kim said sadly, shaking her head. "Even if I could leave right now, I can only enter the Mystic Realm with the explicit permission of the Mystic Mother. She's not there to grant me entrance."

"But if you can't open the orb without being in the Mystic Realm…" Daggeron interjected.

"I can," Kim corrected, "But I won't."

"Why not ?" Nick asked heatedly. They had spent the better part of twenty-four hours, at great risk to all of them, getting the orb away from Rita.

"Because it doesn't contain the Mystic Mother." Kimberly said regretfully.

As one, the Mystic Force team began talking over one another until Odonna finally silenced them. "This is the orb from Rita's staff." She assured Kim, which stunned Tommy. He had no idea that Mystic Force had been allowed to go after Rita before the battle had even started. To irk Teeg like that, to get in and get out…it was an amazing feat, but very poor strategy.

"Which," Kim answered apologetically, "Was apparently switched in anticipation of either Teeg taking it back or a rescue attempt by the Rangers."

"If that isn't the Mystic Mother," Xander asked in frustration, pointing an accusing finger at the orb. "Then who is it?"

"A being by the name of Callisto." Kim answered plainly. "Oddly enough, I've actually encountered her before. Trust me, we don't want her running loose. Rita probably knew if Teeg retook it, Callisto's powers would mimic those of the Mystic Mother's while she was in the orb, but Calisto herself would be all but useless to her once outside of it. On the other hand, if the Rangers managed to rescue her, we wouldn't get the Mystic Mother back, but evil being out to revenge herself."

Tommy watched with heartfelt sympathy as Edward melted against the wall, head thrown back, hands rising to cover his face. He knew exactly how the other man felt. "I'm sorry." He told the Mystic Force team. "I truly am, but I need Kim back in the assembly room now."

"I have to go." Kim said in agreement, but not without kindness; she was disappointed too. She pushed through the small circle of young Rangers and made her way next to Edward. "I'm so sorry." She said with feeling.

He turned to her, eyes bloodshot and weary. "Nice uniform." He commented dryly. "Apparently Primus has retained a sense of humor over the last millennia." He added, noting her red uniform and steel colored armor that vaguely resembled one he himself had worn years ago; but for the opposite side. "Was it worth the price little girl?" He asked, more sadly than bitterly. If the Mystic Mother were still with them, there was a good chance that moderators wouldn't come after her, but by ferreting out the Triad crystal, she'd increased her powers to the point that they could no longer ignore her. "All that, for just one little planet?"

"Not just any little planet." She said, hitting the hidden trigger that would de-morph her. "My planet."

* * *

Trini turned and smiled as her husband entered the room, then frowned as he walked closer.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with a hesitant smile, pausing as she continued to frown at him. "What is it?"

"You're not my husband." She said matter of factly. His head turned a bit, as if caught off guard yet curious how she had detected the difference in the dim light of room. "Who are you?" She asked.

"An alternate from a different dimension." He said gently, judging that honestly would be the best policy to adopt with her. "Your husband's in the Assembly room with Tommy. Dr Manx told me you were asking for him, but still sedated. She asked me to come in and reassure you so you'd go back to sleep."

"I don't sedate well." She answered as if it were only natural a replica from another dimension should enter the room. "And she's wrong. I'd always know my husband." She added as she turned her head away from him then and stared at the monitor.

Following her gaze, he raised his own eyes up to the monitor, startled to see the three dimensional image of a fetus. He stared at it for several long minutes, marveling in the concept that his alternate and his wife had been able to produce a child together. He had always assumed that he and his Trini would never be able to have children, but if his alternate had managed to find a way…

"How's he doing?" Trini asked quietly, eyes still riveted to the screen.

His eyes scanned the readouts on medical table she was hooked up to, remembering what the resident Emily had said. The pregnancy appeared stable, but Trini's pulse and blood pressure seemed way to high; indicating the early stages of preeclampsia. She was obviously not out of the woods yet.

"He appears a bit harried." The alternate Billy commented in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone. Trini sniffed more than laughed, then turned to give him a look which clearly indicated she thought her husband was a good deal more than a little stressed out.

"I feel awful about this." She confided, meeting his eyes mournfully. "The world's coming to an end and the Rangers need him now more than ever, but here I am strapped to a table trying not to lose this baby; adding to the stress instead of helping him with what needs to be done. It's too much for him to handle alone."

"It's not your fault." He said reassuringly, reaching out to put a hand on her arm. "And I'm positive he doesn't consider it an added burden; I wouldn't." He added, thinking she was being incredibly brave, considering, and wondered how his own wife would react.

"I'm not helping." She said miserably. "I should be out there assisting, keeping him organized…" She shook her head and sighed deeply. "If there was ever a time he needed me out there, it's now. Instead…" She shook her head helplessly and turned her eyes back to the screen. "Every time I even walk to the bathroom my blood pressure goes up and the contractions start again."

"How far along are you?" He asked, studying the readouts.

"Barely into my second trimester." She answered unhappily.

"I wonder…" He answered, hand coming up over his mouth as he thought.

"What?" She asked, turning back to him.

"Something I researched while I was on Aquitar." He responded, brow furled as he thought hard. "I wonder if I could replicate it…"

* * *

"Chris this is really serious." Kat tried to impress. "You can't tell anyone. I mean it." She said earnestly. They were standing outside the infirmary, and she was doing her best to keep the conversation quiet, but people were migrating in and out of the family eating areas and it seemed all of Angel Grove was walking past them.

"Why didn't you tell me you were involved in all this…_me_." He emphasized. "I thought we were closer than that."

"This has nothing to do with how close we are. It has to do with your protection…and mine."

"Oh…yeah, right. That explains everything." He answered testily.

"I don't have my powers anymore." She hissed under her breath. "The knowledge could get us both killed. There are plenty of remnants of the Machine Empire out there who'd be thrilled to take revenge on me or my family… or kidnap and kill me to take revenge on the others I served with." She added, thinking of Tommy. It was a hard balance between emphasizing things enough for him to get her point across and taking the risk of being overheard. "Just, come back in the infirmary and let's talk in there." She suggested for the tenth time since he'd turned around and marched out on her. Any other man, she thought angrily to herself, might be elated to find out his girlfriend was a former super hero, but not her Chris; he was pissed she hadn't told him at the onset.

"Fine." He growled, pushing his glasses back up on his nose and flinging the glass door open.

Inside, Ashley stood as they entered, re-balanced her sleeping daughter on her shoulder, and picked up a few personal items from the counter.

"I'll just…let you two talk." She said hesitantly with a little frown. As she made her way to the door she added in Kat's ear. "You know I have to tell Andros and Tommy." The two girls locked eyes and Ashley placed a bottle and toy laden hand on her shoulder.

"Do you think they'll wipe his memory?" Kat asked nervously.

Ashley glanced over at Chris, then gave Kat another worried look. "I don't know." She admitted. "Tommy doesn't like to… Zordon didn't like it either. It doesn't work well on humans and it's hard to control. Sometimes it erases too much or the wrong things. Best you start explaining things so he can start dealing with it."

Kat nodded silently, then gave her friend a half hearted smile as she exited. This was a huge kettle of worms. She didn't want him in any way involved with this aspect of her life, it had been over for too long, it wasn't who she was now, but the damage was already done; best to deal with it like Ashley had suggested.

"What does wipe mean?" Chris asked angrily. Everything about this whole evacuation had made him nervous. It was just too convenient that his fiancé and her family had a whole day's heads up before things went to hell.

It wasn't like he was completely into conspiracy theories, but he didn't totally dismiss them either. There was an entire movement trying to prove the Rangers were actually alien invaders and that all the monsters and save-the-day crap on the news was just geared to get the population to feel they needed the Rangers; to depend on them to the point where they moved in permanently. There was also the theory that the Rangers didn't exist at all, that it was all staged to cover up what the government was really doing with their tax dollars. He didn't necessarily subscribe to either theory, but he did think it was an awful big coincidence that the Rangers only seemed to operate in California.

"Uhm… memory wipe." She answered cautiously. "It's just like it sounds. It would erase you overhearing me talking to Ashley. I've never actually seen it done…well that's not true, I haven't seen the leadership that's in charge now do it."

"But Ashley just said it's hard to control." He countered, angry at the idea someone would tamper with his mind.

"Yes." She admitted, giving him a regretful look. "But Ashley's right, Tommy's actually had his memory wiped before, he doesn't like or approve of the process and he's the one in charge right now, not Andros." After a moment, she moved her hand around to indicate the vacant chairs behind the counter. "Sit down Chris, we need to talk."

"No." He answered firmly. "I want answers and I'm gonna stand right here until I get them."

"I'm not asking." Kat said softly, but in a tone that said she wasn't going to let him control the conversation to come.

"Or what?" He asked snidely. "You're gonna use your super spandex strength to take me out?"

Kat stared at the man she'd loved, for so long and with such hard eyes, that he began to squirm. Eventually, after a few seconds, he exhaled loudly in a short, exasperated breath and stomped around the counter, plopping down heavily in one of the two chairs behind it.

"Chris, I need you to listen to me." She said, walking slowly around the corner and pulling out the other chair. "You have no idea what you've stumbled into." She added, sitting down.

"What? It's like the mafia? If I want out you kill me?" He asked, arms folded across his chest, giving her a look that said he wasn't about to listen to anything she had to say.

"Sort of." She responded, just make him squirm a little.

* * *

Kim only realized after she re-entered the Assembly room that she had forgotten to take the velvet cover of Callisto's orb with her. Looking up, she saw Leanbow and Nick stand off to one side of the overly full room, but not Odonna. The orb was cold in her hand, but not unbearable. If she hadn't had her Muirantian powers back though, it would have been another story. The orb would freeze an unmorphed human hand within a few seconds.

Whatever Primus or the Triad crystal had done, if anything, she could feel the power of the pit flow more easily through her body than ever before. It was a shame the tight connection came to her so late; the things she could have accomplished with more time…

She wouldn't let herself think of that though. She had one last battle to fight, one last chance to say goodbye to her husband and friends. Carri and Karone were both of the opinion that, now that she was Primus's Ranger, he would somehow interfere for her, but she doubted it. Primus wasn't Zordon. He hadn't left his lair in nearly six million years; not even when Zordon was tricked by Rita… not even when his own world had been destroyed.

As the Assembly quieted and Tommy began to hand out assignments and rally them toward the fight ahead, her thoughts shifted again to her family and her life. It had been a good life, she decided, far longer than anyone knew. She didn't want it to be over, but at the same time, she had no regrets; except, maybe, leaving Tommy a second time. She regretted the hurt she'd cause him again.

Primus had told her that he had no intention of handing over Netau's orb, that the moderators suspected, but could not prove without evidence that she had somehow destroyed him. However her powers were growing again and she was now not only openly suspected of killing another guardian, but of illegal transplantation and purposely tampering with blue worlds in an effort to shift them to a green line; a far more serious crime than murder. That alone was enough to give her enemies adequate cause to bring her before the tribunal. Besides, if they could take her down, they'd have a shot at taking Thomas with her; and he was the much grander prize.

Unfortunately, the court of moderators was not nearly as equitable as the court system in her world; it wasn't going to be a fair trial. She was the Demon Spawn of Maligore…kin to Dark Specter… and, as such, not trusted or liked by many on the side of good. She was also Zordon's Ranger, or recognized daughter, and equally not trusted or welcomed by those on the side of evil. It was a double edge sword no matter what she said or did; both sides wanted her gone.

As she pondered her dilemma, a commotion near the entrance caught her eyes. At first it was just a murmur, but it spread quickly down the stairs, and soon more and more Rangers in the room turned; the noise and disruption growing louder. Tommy stopped his monolog and also turned, just as Kim noticed Nick Russell reach out and try to grab something, but it was small and fast, and eluded him. Jumping up from his seat, Cole Evans was the next to try, but although he seemed to get a loose hold, it wiggled free and he also stood up empty handed to chase down the stairs with the others. Frowning, she moved forward and intercepted the little intruder at the bottom of the stairway, causing it to squeal and wiggle in indignation until it realized who had caught it.

"You promised!" Aaron, Tommy's brother's four year old son howled in righteous anger. "You promised and you never came!" He accused, pounding her shoulder with an irritated fist and giving such a good imitation of Tommy at his angriest that many of the reds in front began to chuckle.

Few in the room knew who the boy was, but with his light brown curls and flashing eyes, there was no doubt to anyone present that he was related to their leader. Jason, however, knew exactly who the boy was, and as he turned, watching the irritated expression on his friend's face, he wondered if Tommy knew the truth behind the boy's origins or if Kim had held silent; probably the latter, he reasoned.

Aaron was a transplant; one of Kim's first. Jason had been on the mission where Tommy's doomed alternate had taken the infant from his dead mother's arms and begged her to save his son and raise him herself. Kim had taken the boy, but she was unable to fulfill the promise to raise him herself when Thomas warned that the moderators had begun closely watching her.

Fearing for him, but baffled by what to do with the baby since she'd already adapted him to her home timeline, she began to look at other options. Even as a tiny infant Aaron was showing special talents and, as the son of two very powerful Rangers, there was every reason to believe those talents would continue to grow; she couldn't give him to just anyone. After careful consideration, she felt she couldn't give him over to Tommy, the two were barely on speaking terms at that time, so she had approached his brother instead.

Like Kim, David was a guardian and, although he was limited to simply protecting the seals of several of Earth's sub-dimensional prisons, he was still someone Kim could partially confide in. She explained to him that it was important to keep him in their world, not only because Aaron's morphanological signatures had already been altered to their timeline, but because their home Earth, it seemed, had a problem. It's timeline, up until then, had been following a fairly well documented chronology where the Tommy showed every indication of following a solitary life. He and Kim hadn't produced a child just out of high school, which would have been fine except he and Kat hadn't produced one after college either. If the line followed the well documented pattern, the world would be in serious trouble in just about two decades. The exception to this rule was in the rare instance where Tommy's brother David produced a son.

Seizing on that technicality, Kim appealed to David, who agreed to take the boy, but only if Kim swore that she would never reveal his true birth parents. Aaron would be his son and he alone would raise him; just as his guardian, Sam, had raised him. Tommy could never, under any circumstances be told his alternate was the biological father and it would be David, not his brother who would be credited with having the first son. As Kim had no intention at that time of ever reuniting with Tommy, and the knowledge that Aaron was a transplant would mean the instant death for all involved, Kim had easily agreed.

Now, however, Jason wondered how hard that promise had been to keep. Kimberly adored the boy, never having wanted to give him up in the first place, and the boy adored her. He wondered how hard was it for his friend to keep her genetic relationship, through her alternate, a secret now that she saw him regularly; now that she was living with her husband and the alternate of the boy's father.

Aaron looked exactly like Tommy, but as his acknowledged father was Tommy's twin, that wasn't so unusual. However he definitely had Kim's feistiness and when she held him so closely next to her, Jason could unquestionably see the echo of Kim's alternate shadowed across the boy's nose, mouth, and chin. Looking over at the two groups of alternates, who were curiously regarding the little intruder, he wondered if they saw it too.

"Aaron…" Kim warned in a frustrated and scolding tone, picking him up and securing him on her hip. It was a ridiculous site, the boy was half as big as she was, but she held him securely and, despite his obvious crossness, he allowed himself to be held.

"How did he get in here?" Tommy barked, finally overcoming his shock at the appearance of his nephew. First Zedd… Edward, he mentally corrected himself…and now his nephew of all people. "Don't we have security systems in this place?" He asked in an accusing voice, turning around to face Billy.

"There are far too many people milling around." He answered defensively, "Besides, I doubt any security system would be able to keep that one out."

Tommy gave him a surprised and confused look, but he didn't elaborate. Turning back towards Kim he asked in an ill-tempered tone, "Aaron how did you get in here?"

"Easy peezy, lemon squeasy." His nephew sassed back with a cocky look, causing the assembly in general to laugh a little.

"Alright." Kim interrupted, turning so that she faced her husband instead of his nephew. "I'm going to take him back." She said, shifting his heavy weight a little on her hip.

"You promised to read Go Dog Go, Horton, and Good Night Moon." Aaron said crossly, remembering the whole reason he had tracked her down and risked a serious spanking from his father by breaking into his uncle's domain. "And you never showed up." He added with a pout, his lower lip and jaw protruding in a face that usually worked with Kim; if no one else. It had been dumb luck that he had seen her come into this particular room, but luck was luck and, as it generally favored him, he didn't question it.

"I did show up" Kim defended herself. "But you were already fast asleep."

"Not my fault you missed bedtime." He huffed, crossing his arms challengingly. He looked so much like a miniature Tommy at his sternest, that several of the Rangers, including the Alternates, began to laugh in earnest.

"Right..." Kim said slowly, giving him a warning look to behave as she shifted her hold on him again. The orb was cold in her hand and she didn't want it touching Aaron's fragile skin. Looking around, she saw the morphed group of older alternates lined up across the opposite wall of the room. Decision made, she marched over to the yellow Turbo Ranger and held out her hand.

"What?" The alternate Carri asked, confused that K had brought the boy over to her and was offering her something white and glowing.

"I need you to hold on to this for me until I can get him out of here." Kim answered, urging her to take the sphere from her hand. "Don't touch it unless you're morphed."

"What is it?" She queried, taking the cold ball and raising it up to her visor; squinting behind her helmet to see the curled up, sleeping form inside.

"A containment orb." Kim returned. "It holds the trapped spirit of the worst of the worst. The ones you can't kill, so you contain them so they won't do any damage."

"Anyone I know?" The alternate Carri asked cheekily, lowing the orb back down to get a better glimpse of the boy on her hip. If ever she could imagine a perfect blend of her two friends, the boy would be it. It was as fascinating as it was creepy.

"Callisto." Kim said simply, earning a sharp jerk of the helmeted yellow Ranger's head back in her direction. "Try not to let it break." Kim advised. "The last thing I need right now is a vengeful goddess running around my home dimension." With that, she turned and marched across the assembly hall.

"We don't have time for this." Tommy growled quietly as she passed him. He loved his nephew and, with the information Kim had revealed during their time in Angel Grove's past, the boy was more dear to him now than anyone would ever know, but now was not the time or place for a child's interruption. Yet, watching her carry him across the assembly room floor, he felt a sharp pang of longing. He knew exactly who the boy was and the circumstances of his origins and felt a deep resentment and a sharp sense of injustice that Aaron was his brother's son and not his; not that he would ever express the feeling out loud. It pained him to watch her with the boy, to see how devoted the child was to her, to know what could have been if they'd only forgiven each other sooner.

"I'll make time." She responded, giving him a look that said she would take care of it and not to interfere. As she passed him, his nephew gave him such a smug look of triumphant victory that he'd been able to break in and steal Kim away, that the room once again erupted in laughter.

Kim turned in time to see her husband turn roll his eyes, but missed what had caused the uproar. As she moved up the far stairs, Leanbow reached out and tweaked the boy's ear, giving Kim an amused look meant to silently tell her not to be too hard on the boy. Leanbow himself had been separated from his son as an infant, only recently reuniting with him again as a grown man; which she knew he deeply regretted. Moving on up the stairs and out the door, she realized with a start that the former Mystic Ranger had assumed that the boy was hers. She turned to look at the miniature replica of her husband, a silent pang of unease sliding down her core like liquid ice; wondering who else in the room assumed same thing.

* * *

"So you're saying what? Cassie asked excitedly. "The Turbo morphers work now?"

"They not only work, they're at full power." TJ answered with a huge grin on his face. Over the years, he'd been able to get one or two limited morphs from his key and morpher, and he knew Justin had surreptitiously done the same from time to time, but whatever glitch had kept the Turbo morphers inactive had apparently been ironed out when the grids had been purged by the Triads.

"But…that would make two Turbo teams." Andros protested. He didn't like this at all. Tommy had reinforced Kim's order that he remain behind, which was bad enough, but now his wife was being drafted to fight in the battle.

"So?" TJ rebutted. "There have always been two Turbo crews."

"Not at the same time." Andros protested, giving his wife a frustrated look. He had no right to tell her not to take the morpher TJ had just handed her, but he hoped, for their daughter's sake if not his, that she would refuse it. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, understood by her silence that she wasn't entirely thrilled by the prospect of going back into battle, but a Ranger was a Ranger and he knew only too well the struggle with duty she was feeling.

"This is totally awesome!" Justin chimed in. "It'll be just like old times!"

Andros looked up and caught Malek's eyes as he stood by Cassie. He was obviously as equally non-pleased by Cassie's restored morphing ability as Andros was by Ashley's. Unlike most congregated just outside Billy's lab, Andros knew exactly who Malek was and wasn't surprised at all to find him firmly attached to Cassie's side. The two exchanged foreboding looks as the restored Turbo team chattered excitedly.

"I can't." Ashley piped up, startling the others and causing Andros to nearly feint with relief.

"What do'ya mean you can't?" Justin fired back automatically. At almost twenty years of age, he was taller than all of them now, having filled out and left the gangliness of his teens behind him, but still retained the enthusiasm of a young Ranger.

"I can't." Ashley repeated, reluctantly, Andros noted, handing her key and morpher back to TJ. "I have a baby to take care of. She depends on me." She explained. TJ and Cassie gave her sympathetic looks, understanding her dilemma had as much to do with her husband being ordered to remain behind as it did with her decision to stay with her baby.

"But you're a Ranger." Justin protested, unable to understand how anyone could turn down a morpher and a chance to go back to action; especially when she had her husband to watch her baby. "That leaves us a Ranger short."

Ashley hesitated, closing her eyes and then opening them to lock with her husband's. She knew he was terrified she'd accept the morpher and join the battle. As a Ranger, she felt she had to go; it wasn't the first time she'd fought off the end of the world. As Andros's wife however, and the mother of a very young infant, she also had the responsibility to remain behind and take care of her family. It was a horrible choice and one she didn't take lightly.

Shaking her head, she said in a quiet yet firm voice, "No Justin. I'm Sage's mother now. A long time ago, you lost your mother. I know you understand that, if she'd had the choice, she wouldn't have left you any more than I want to leave my child."

Justin stared at her for several long seconds before lowering his eyes and looking away. He did understand, somewhat, and really hadn't thought of it in terms of the team not pulling through. That still left them a Ranger short though and just one member down could cripple a team who's strength depended on working as a unit.

"I have an idea." He said suddenly, turning and bounding off down the hall.

"Justin wait!" TJ called to his retreating form. "We could be called at any second!"

But the reinstated blue Turbo Ranger merely raised his hand to acknowledge he'd heard. "Don't start without me!" He called over his shoulder, then turned the corner and was gone.

* * *

It was less than five minutes after the assembly let out when Kim rejoined her friends in the Command Center. Her husband gave her a frustrated look, which suggested that he was more than a little irritated by the short time she'd spent with his nephew, but she shrugged it off, justifying it by admitting to herself that, if he examined things closely, he'd realize that she had saved time by double timing things and was actually still reading Dr. Seuss to his miniature in the family section for another twenty minutes or so.

"What'd I miss?" She asked to the crowded room in general.

"There's a ton of movement." The older of the two alternate Billys answered, "But Teeg still hasn't opened the towers."

"What do you think she's waiting for?" Her husband asked, referring to Teeg and hoping she had a better answer than Jason had just given them. Jason was of the opinion that Kim hadn't been able to tweak Teeg enough by rescuing Tommy to entice her into a premature attack. Instead of a nighttime battle, they could very well be looking at waiting in a holding pattern until dawn.

"How long until sunset?" She asked, frowning. She already knew that no alarms would sound for another twenty minutes; at least, none that the civilian evacuees were aware of. She had been hoping that the Rangers had simply decided not to alert the family section of what was going on.

"Four minutes past." The resident Billy answered gruffly, turning around and looking up from a consol he'd been studying.

"Then she's having trouble opening them." Kim said, walking past the crowd to look at the readouts on the main computer screen.

"That's a good thing, right?" The resident Rocky asked, his arms still firmly locked around a now unmorphed Carri.

"Maybe." Kim answered, forehead furled and lips pressed together. "Or it could mean I misjudged her and she's found the patience to wait until the towers are fully charged."

"That's what I said." The resident Jason said with a cautious look. His eyes met Kim's and they seemed to be communicating silently between themselves. When she broke eye contact, he sought out his Carri's, but she was rooted to her Rocky and wouldn't meet his gaze. They were the only three in the room that had ever faced what was coming; they were the only ones who knew the advantage they were losing if Teeg waited to attack.

"And if she's waiting until that happens?" The older of the alternate Kims asked.

"Then the battle just got a whole lot more complicated." Kim answered.

* * *

"Guys, this is my roommate, Fred Kelman." Justin said, slapping his confused friend roughly on the back.

"Justin…" Cassie said cautiously, standing up and regarding his friend warily. They had congregated around a spare table in Billy's lab while waiting for the order to deploy when Justin had come bouncing in with a young man none of them had ever met before.

"No, it's ok." Justin rushed, holding up his hand to ward off TJ's disapproving scowl. "Fred used to study karate with Tommy…he was one of Tommy's students. He's the one who told me Fred here was looking for an apartment and suggested we might make good roommates this semester. Apparently once, when Ivan Ooze was attacking the city, he helped the Mighty Morphins save thousands of civilians that Ivan that had hypnotized."

"Student as in…_student_?" TJ asked, standing up slowly and taking a more scrutinizing look at the newcomer. He'd never heard of him, but that didn't mean anything in the Ranger world.

"Not that he's ever fessed up to." Justin responded nonchalantly, ignoring his friend's baffled look. "But Adam told me once that he was in line to be a Ranger when he grew up."

This seemed to be a good enough recommendation for the others. They took a second to glance in each other's direction, as if asking permission, then nodded to one another in agreement.

"Whoa." Fred interjected, raising both hands in a stop gesture as the rest of the group stood and moved towards him. "What's going on Justin?" He asked, backing up and feeling, correctly, that the others he was being introduced to were sizing him up.

Justin was not Fred's idea of a fabulous roommate, but he had been desperate for close, cheap, campus housing and Tommy had had gone out of his way to set things up for him. Unfortunately, they were polar opposites. Where Fred tended to be quiet and serious, Justin was perpetually overflowing with excess energy, rarely sleeping, and was just a little odd in his obsession with talking to his freaky old car and tracking every move of the Power Rangers on Earth.

Justin wasn't an idiot, nor was he irresponsible, but he behaved like it sometimes. He was smarter than anyone else Fred knew, but because he didn't have to work nearly as hard as Fred did for good grades, he was constantly trying to pull him away from his books and off to one adventure or another. Fred was the son of a fireman, with very little spare income for playing and a huge sense of having to achieve and make the most of his father's sacrifices to get his son a good education. He wasn't in grad school to play, he was there to earn a degree and a shot at making life better for him and his dad.

He'd been surprised to be offered a space in the NASADA evacuations, but Justin was right, he had helped the Power Rangers out once; although he had assumed that minor assistance was long forgotten by them. In typical Justin style, he had come barreling into the tiny room Fred shared with his father, grabbed his arm, and told him he needed follow; immediately. The next thing he knew, he was being escorted past the guards and into the restricted area.

"We're short one Turbo Ranger." TJ said plainly by way of explanation. "Justin just nominated you."

"Just like that?" Fred asked, stunned, and feeling like his knees were about to melt. Like Justin, he had grown taller than most of the others in the room; as tall as his dad, although with a much deeper voice. Unlike Justin however, Fred was now twenty-two, in grad school, and had left any fantasies of becoming a Power Ranger long behind him in elementary school.

"Just like that." Ashley answered with a little smile, stepping forward and handing out her key and Turbo morpher. Fred stared at the apparatus as if it was an alligator about to bite him. Half of him wanted to grab the thing and shout for joy, but the other, more reasonable half, wanted to know if he was being punked.

"Course, you gotta be a yellow." Justin snickered, unable to resist.

"Yellow isn't necessarily a female color." Andros interjected, stepping forward to add a supportive arm around his wife's waist. Giving up her morpher wasn't easy for her and he recognized what she was surrendering in order to stay behind with him and their daughter. "Most of the time it's a male designation."

"Well, guess we'll see for sure if he morphs and sports a skirt." Justin responded with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"What?" Fred asked, genuinely confused and honestly beginning to panic a little. They were serious, he realized. They were offering him his childhood dream of becoming a Power Ranger. True, yellow wasn't exactly gold, but…

"Just take the morpher." Justin said sardonically. Reaching out and grabbing it from Ashley's hand, he thrust the key and morpher into Fred's chest; catching the key before it could fall out of his astonished friend's hands. "Trust me…" Justin grinned. "You're gonna love this…"

* * *

"Well…" Jason said with a heavy sigh as the satellite monitor clearly showed the moon rising above the storm clouds below, "Looks like it's gonna be a while."

The only activity the monitors showed now was the storms destroying the world's cities. Angel Grove itself was nearly leveled. What hadn't blown over, had burned in the fires that had raged out of control; fanned by winds exceeding gusts of sometimes a hundred and fifty miles an hour. Local temperatures were well over a hundred and ten degrees and, although no rain fell, lightening had struck so many times that the map tracking it was one large white blotch on the screen.

Angel Grove wasn't alone though. All over the world, it was the same story. There were places in the Middle East that had simply vanished in the last twenty four hours under the windblown sand and the tides were running so high that coastal land from Japan to Florida, was being pummeled out of existence by giant waves. By contrast, Angel Grove had it easy, but that didn't make it any more bearable for the Rangers in the Command Center to see it destroyed.

"Are we sure it's our sunset that will trigger the attack?" The young alternate of Tommy asked. "I mean, the sun goes down at different times all across the world."

"It's not so much Angel Grove, but the site of Zordon's old Power Chamber." Kim explained. "Ten thousand years before we established Greenwich time, he had re-established the ancestral Intergalactic timeline and zero longitude as beginning here. That's why there're so many alien invasions and attacks along this meridian." She said, adding with a shake of her head, "No, this is the time zone she'll honor; for tradition if nothing else."

"So she'll wait for dawn?" The resident Tommy asked, torn between hoping for more time with his wife and the knowledge that twelve more hours could spell serious trouble for them.

"I don't know." Kim replied honestly. "Midnight or dawn. I've never seen this pattern before."

"But that's a good thing…right?" Carri asked, detaching herself from Rocky a bit, but still clasping his hand tightly. She hadn't let go of him since she'd returned and had no intention of it until the battle forced her to. "I mean, if the pattern's changing, maybe the outcome's changing."

Kim turned to glance at her friend, an unreadable look on her face. "Maybe." She said softly, but privately she wasn't getting her hopes up yet. If things delayed too long, she might not be able to help in the final battle at all and who knew what that would mean for her planet.

"If I can make a suggestion?" Jason added, turning to the resident Tommy, who nodded at him. "I think we should tell the Rangers to stand down and get some rest. We've all been working flat out getting ready. We can tell them we're in a holding pattern until Teeg makes her move and we'll update them just before midnight and then again just before dawn."

"I think that's a good idea." Tommy answered heavily, rubbing his eyes with his fingers. He hated stalls, but at the same time, he was grateful for the reprieve.

"We should find the alternate teams a place to rest as well…" Kim began, but was cut off by a beeping on the main consol. She frowned, then reached down and flipped the communications button open.

"Tommy, Kim…" Hayley's frustrated and strained voice rang through the speakers, "You should really come back through into the lab….Wait! You can't just…." She shouted through the speaker.

Kim raised curious eyes to meet her husband's, but before either could react, the portal into the main Command Center glowed and opened. As one, all four teams of Rangers jumped to the ready, only to be confronted by a young woman, firmly dragging a contrite Skull by the ear.

"What the…" Tommy began to bellow, but the woman held up her hand.

"I don't need you." She said firmly, as if she had every right to be where she was. "I need her." She said pointing at Kim.

"Rhianna!" Kim exclaimed, stunned to see the daughter of Edward and the Mystic Mother march up to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Finding you." The young woman answered shortly. "And it's Regina up here on the surface… Rhianna's so…Mystic Realm." She added with an eye roll. "You're not exactly an easy person to track down, you know that?"

"Rhianna?" The older alternate Kim and Carri exclaimed together, staring wide eyed and astounded to see the alternate of their nemesis's partner simply walk into the Command Center and seek out the resident K.

She was actually a very pretty young woman, just a little taller than Kim, with shoulder length, dark black hair that sported a clearly defined and neat pink stripe off to the right and a purple stripe off to the left. She wasn't exactly dressed in classic gothic style, pairing black leather pants with a bright, multicolored satiny shirt. It was more of a mild, yuppie- like goth; a pairing of polyester and dog collars. She had little makeup or jewelry on except for a thick line of black eyeliner under both bluish-purple eyes, red lipstick and nail polish, and enough piercing in her ears to make a rocker envious.

"What's it to you?" She asked pertly, noting the carbon copies in the room and mentally filing it away for later. Both women clamped their mouths shut and shook their heads, still wide-eyed, but afraid to answer. They'd never actually been face to face with their declared enemy before…at least not on non-fighting terms.

"Gina…sweetie…" Skull squealed, bending over and twisting as if to release her hold on his ear. "Maybe we shouldn't bother them right now." He suggested nervously.

"Gina?" The resident Kim asked, "Regina?" She repeated, eyes widening as she recognized the name and associated it with her soon to be step brother. "You're Skull's new wife?" She asked incredulously, sympathizing as both the alternate Carri and Kim slapped their hands across their mouths and turned to hide their reactions. "Rhianna you shouldn't even be on the surface, let alone getting married to a human." Kim sputtered, chastising her like she'd just fussed at Tommy's nephew Aaron.

Her husband raised a curious eyebrow at his wife, wondering exactly who the newcomer was and why the older alternates seemed to react so strongly to her. It was obvious they knew who she was and he felt a bit uncomfortable being in the dark. His double appeared not to know what to do under the situation and the alternates of Carri and Kim made choking sounds to keep from laughing. The alternate Jason however, simply groaned and sank down into a vacant chair.

"You aren't nearly old enough to come up here to the surface and get married young lady!" Kim protested, hands automatically finding her hips in a position of authority. Edward was going to be livid when he found out. Rhianna had always been as sweet as she was willful, but, like her mother, she was also a very talented witch, and that had scared her parents enough to keep her firmly rooted in a closed dimension. Unfortunately, far from content in the realm her mother inhabited, the restriction from the surface world had only increased her desire to live among the humans who inhabited it.

"First of all," Rhianna fired back in an indignant adolescent tone, "I'm plenty old enough to do what I want. I was like, what? Three when you left the Mystic Realm all of, I dunno, eighteen years ago? Hello, do the math." She said sharply, striking a defiant pose. "Second of all, have you totally lost your mind making this one a Ranger?" She asked, eyes blazing as she yanked Skull's ear, propelling him forward and causing him to yelp again. "Alone, yeah, ok, I can possibly, maybe, see it…but not really…he's totally influenced by that other one. Separate them and they actually function like adults, but put them together and they act like five year old idiots."

"Does your mother know you're up here?" Kim growled sternly, not liking the younger woman's attitude at all. Rhianna had an estimated lifespan as long as her own. Twenty-one out of ten thousand wasn't exactly mature. If she had to guess, despite her obvious physical growth and chronological age, Kim would probably put her somewhere in the neighborhood of around twelve or fourteen maturity wise.

Rubbing her face firmly with both hands, she considered carefully what to say next. Rhianna had been such a sweet child during her stay in the Mystic Realm. To see her grow up like this was…well it was unsettling. Her attitude was that of a complete juvenile delinquent.

"Mummy's been a little confined lately." Rhianna said, pulling out a white containment orb. Although she had no protection on her hand, the ball sat there comfortably and she seemed impervious to its frozen shell.

Kim moved forward and took the orb from the young woman, staring into it's debts. "Oh my god…" She breathed as she recognized the essence within. "How?"

"Skully here was sent to rescue a trapped Ranger from Rita's private chamber and thought he'd bring me home a little present while he was at it." Rhianna responded pertly. "Isn't he just the sweetest thing?"She added, scrunching her eyes and nose up.

"He what?" Kim asked, astonished, head snapping up.

"That was my doing." Karone confessed a bit awkwardly from the corner where she'd seated herself. "You said send two Rangers who weren't otherwise assigned to something." She explained, refusing to add that she had also thought it a suicide mission and the two goofballs the most expendable volunteers she could find.

"I said…" Kim started angrily, then stopped, closing her eyes in frustration and clamping down hard on her jaw to keep from saying what really came to her mind.

"He wanted to give me a crystal ball to add to my collection." Rhianna interrupted. "I don't think he had any clue what he was really bringing me."

"What is it?" The resident Tommy asked, frowning at the scene that was unfolding before him. He hated being an uninformed bystander. Even the young alternate of Kim seemed to know more of what was going on than he did… and it was his Command Center.

"The Mystic Mother." Kim said incredulously, turning to him. "That could very well be why, despite all the activity, Teeg hasn't attacked yet. She might have tried to use Rita's powers to boost the gestation of the towers, but Rita discovered the orb was gone and couldn't do it."

"You can get her out right?" Rhianna asked hopefully. "I mean, as much as she annoys me, she's still my mother."

Kim looked up from the orb to the young woman in front of her, the stunned look still evident on her face. "Yeah." She said softly, nodding. "I mean yes, yes I can." She answered, stretching out her hand and holding the orb upward. Closing her eyes, she found the innate connection between herself and the Muirantian temple, drawing upon its power and channeling it into the form of energy needed to dissolve the sphere.

Those around her took several unconscious steps backward, watching, fascinated, as she opened her red glowing eyes and the sphere in front of her began to glow and grow. In a bright flash of white light, the orb shattered, releasing a ball of sparkling pixie dust which floated haphazardly for a moment, then developed into the human like form of the Mystic Mother; complete with robes and foxtail headdress.

"Mummy!" Rhianna squealed and rushed forward to hug her mother.

"I take it I'm not in Kansas anymore." The familiar gravel like voice commented, patting her daughter on the back absently. As one, both teams of Alternates were stunned to realized who she actually was and that, in K's dimension, the being they identified as Rita Repulsa was obviously not a force for evil. Most of them turned wide eyes between Kim and Tommy and, although Tommy didn't look happy to see her, neither were making any effort to remove her from the Command Center and weren't the least bit nervous she was there.

"Ren's moon girl, what've you done with your hair?" The Mystic Mother asked, backing up and holding her at arm's length. "And I certainly didn't let you stick all that metal in your ears. Where's your father? Leave it to a man to let you run about loose and alter yourself."

"I'm also married." Rhianna said with a sticky sweet smile, batting her eyes and holding up her left hand to reveal a gold ring."

"Not on my watch you aren't." Her mother fired back; eyes blazing. She was still disoriented by the orb and not really at full strength, but she knew better than to let her obstinate daughter get the upper edge. "Who would dare risk my wrath by considering marrying you without permission?" She asked haughtily, shooting the resident Kim a heated look, as if she had been responsible for curbing her daughter's behavior in her absence. Kim smiled weakly and jutted her head in Skull's direction.

"Power preserve us…" The Mystic Mother said in an astounded tone as she recognized the grown version of the boy. "No…" She said, looking back at her daughter as if expecting it to be a joke. "Sweetie not that one…you're not serious." She finished in a stern tone.

"He's the Ranger that saved you from Rita." Rhianna crooned, obviously thrilled to be tweaking her mother.

It worked. The Mystic Mother's head snapped up and glared accusingly at Kim. "You don't mean to say…" She started, anger flashing in her eyes, "…that you made…_that one_…a Ranger?"

"It was an accident." Kim mumbled, looking a little embarrassed. "It was." She defended, as the two teams of alternates began snickering. "Do you think I would purposely seek out Bulk and Skull and give them power coins?" She asked the group defensively.

"Let alone _pink_ coins." The resident Jason couldn't resist adding and the alternates snickered a little louder.

"Hey!" Rhianna snapped in an angry tone, turning around to defend her husband. "It takes a man very secure in his masculinity to pull on pink spandex."

As one, the Rangers assembled began to snort and laugh, letting off some of the earlier stress they'd been under. The resident Tommy and Kim, however, didn't find it amusing; neither did the Mystic Mother. Tommy covered his face with his hand, wiping it across his eyes and exhaling loudly. It was as if his Command Center had been hijacked and he could do nothing about it. He caught Kim's eyes with a look that said he didn't have the time or patience to deal with this kind of drama and she better do something quickly to resolve it.

"Rhianna…" The Mystic Mother said patiently when the laughter had died down. "This is absurd. Even on the surface, you're still part of the Mystic Realm, you can't simply go out and marry someone without my permission. Whatever it was you thought you were doing, we'll just have it annulled and start all over again."

"Oh no." Rhianna countered defensively, she'd known the fight that was coming as soon as her parents discovered what she'd done and was more than ready for them. "I'm not annulling anything." She insisted defiantly. "I love him and I'm going to keep him."

"No, you're not." The Mystic Mother retorted firmly. "He's not a toy Rhianna. You can't just stamp your foot and pout until your father gives in and lets you have your way. You're going to annul this thing and return with me to the Mystic Realm where we're going to forget it ever happened."

"I'm not going anywhere." Rhianna responded sweetly, with a steel-like expression glowing in her deep purple eyes. There was no way she was going back to the boring prison her mother had made for her in the Mystic Realm. She'd been planning her escape for far too long, she was going to live her life on her own terms. "I'm pregnant." She crowed triumphantly. "You can't annul anything now, can you Mummy."

The entire room was dead silent as the Mystic Mother glared furiously at her wayward daughter. There wasn't one exhalation of breath among anyone watching; the teens every bit as horrified as the adults. All in the room stared at the young woman, open mouthed, as she reveled in the success of her strategy. She couldn't be sent back home now and she knew it. She'd get to live on the surface, just like she'd always wanted. After several long, silent, excruciating seconds, a loud thud snapped all heads back around to where Skull had feinted dead away on the floor.

"Uh-oh…" Rhianna exclaimed, turning to see her new husband's body crumpled on the floor. Giving Kim a contrite look, she asked, "Do you think I should have told him first?"

* * *

Carri laid down on the bed with an audible groan, pulling Rocky down after her. He chuckled as she wrapped his arms around her and snuggled back into a spooning position. It was such a complete one-eighty from that morning that he wondered again just what she'd encountered to put her in such a clingy mood. Not that he was complaining, it beat her trying to scratch his eyes out over Jessica.

"So are you gonna tell me what happened to your hair?" He murmured, kissing the short strands she had tucked behind her ear. She made a growling noise and he moved back a little as she unwrapped his arms and rolled over to face him.

"It was awful." She divulged, eyes meeting his in an almost beseeching look that he'd never seen on her before. She looked completely and utterly vulnerable.

"You want to tell me about it?" He asked gently, lightly stroking her arm.

"Not sure how much I can say." She responded, rolling over and staring at the floor of the loft storage area that covered their bed.

"Worse than Aquitar?" He asked softly.

"Worse than anything." She responded, closing her eyes. "God Rocky it was just…" She paused and opened her eyes again, staring straight up at the low ceiling as if examining it closely for flaws. "It was months and months of…it was non-stop, it just never ended." She finished, grabbing his hand and lacing her fingers through his.

"You guys saved the day though." He added encouragingly. "The grids are all up and running better than ever before."

"Yeah, but the cost…" She sighed, closing her eyes and thinking of Kim. She and Karone still didn't really get along any better since they'd become teammates, but she fervently hoped that the ex-evil empress was right and that Primus would intervene.

There hadn't been a Triad team for over ten thousand years and in the three months since Primus had given them the crystal, he'd kept them more than busy within the continuum. He had been reluctant to let them return home, saying he still had work for them, that the moderators were in an uproar that Kim had been given access to a crystal that would increase her powers exponentially, but they had fulfilled their part of the bargain and he had grudgingly honored his side by allowing them to go back; showing Kim how to purge the grids once they got there. Still…even though they had left the protection of his lair, surely he'd shield Kim somehow, she thought.

"So is that uniform of yours purple or black?" Rocky asked, interrupting her silent brooding.

"Huh?" She returned, rolling over and propping herself up on one elbow.

"Purple or black?" He asked again.

"Black." She answered defiantly, forehead scrunching up into a scowl. "There aren't any purple Rangers that I know of…you?" She asked testily.

"Just asking." He replied with a twinkle in his eyes. She humphed rather loudly and rolled over, causing him to smile.

"Nice armor though." He added and she turned her head back to him with an agitated look, trying to gauge if he was making fun of her.

"It's hard to control." She remarked. "Took forever to learn how to work with it. Not like the newer stuff that you just suddenly know how to use. Powerful though." She rambled, wondering how to turn the conversation in the direction she wanted to go. She had thought about what she'd say to him for months. Now that she was here though, all the carefully contrived speeches just simply vanished into thin air.

"It's impressive looking." He commented, watching her struggle with her thoughts. He assumed it had to be about Jessica; that's what they'd been fighting about when she left.

"Kim hates it." Carri answered back contentiously.

"Well…" He replied with a sigh, wondering if he should add that she looked an awful lot like a really short Lord Zedd in it. After carefully studying her face and gauging her mood, he decided against the comment; allowing a silence to fall between them.

Finally, after a few long minutes, Carri become too restless to lie back anymore. She bolted up and began pacing the tiny free area of their assigned space. As he watched her move back and forth, he began to get more than a little nervous himself. She obviously had something to say to him and didn't know how to get it out; which, for Carri, was pretty rare.

"I've been gone almost six months." She finally blurted out, stopping to stare at him.

"You guys were gone about three hours." He replied back, sitting upright, but being a little more careful about banging his head against the wood storage frame over the mattress. They both already knew the time differences, it was obvious she was getting ready to launch into a discussion about something else.

"The first three were complete hell." She said flatly, still unsure about what she wanted to say. "The second three… were just busy. I mean, we had to learn to use the crystal…altogether, like one person instead of three…and then we had to learn to use the equipment…learn it well, not just figure out how to turn it on and point at something." She stopped and shrugged her shoulders, turning to the door and then back around at him. "I mean, we had so little time to think…"

"That happens sometimes." He interjected with a shrug, hoping she wasn't about to try and return to the arguments over Jessica.

"Missing you was the worst of it." She admitted, giving him an uncertain look. When he met her eyes, she added, "I mean…God…" She swore, wrapping her arms around her front and shaking her head. "It was really awful, not knowing if I'd ever be able to come back again." She finished.

"I'm really glad you did." He managed, struggling with his own feelings. He'd been through hell too. Wondering if she was dead or out there needing help or ever coming back had just about destroyed him. Knowing their last few hours had been spent arguing had been the worst. His heart had literally shattered.

"It just made me realize…I mean, I just starting thinking…I…" She stammered.

"Carri…" He interrupted, standing up and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Let's just forget it."

"Forget what?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"What we argued about earlier…before you left. Let's just forget it and start over." He answered, sliding his hands down her arms and clasping hers.

"Oh…" She said simply, disengaging his hands and turning away. "That's uhm…not really what I was getting at."

"Oh." He answered simply, unsure where to go next. It didn't seem like she wanted to continue the fight, but if she didn't want to let it go…

"I mean, six months away…that just sort of made me realize the whole argument was kind of, well… petty…you know?" She asked, turning back around to face him, but he looked genuinely confused and didn't answer. "What I mean is, we had a really good thing going and I got really scared. I don't exactly have a glowing track record with relationships…" She added, pausing to give him a sheepish look. "I got all freaked out because…well, my dad…he used to pull this kind of shit on my mom. She'd get all freaked out and…well, when I was really young I used to get scared my dad would walk away and replace my mom and us with a family that wasn't quite so…dysfunctional." She admitted with a little wince. " I grew up believing really strongly that parents need to stay with their children… I freaked out because I know you love kids and I can't have any and I knew it'd be best for the boy…"

"Carri stop." Rocky cut in, walking forward and putting his arms around her. "I get it."

"I just love you so much." She said, raising her hands up to his face and meeting his forehead with hers when he lowered it. "I was really scared I was gonna lose you."

"I'm not go'n anywhere." He said firmly, moving his head slightly brush his lips against her temple . "I love you too." He murmured, pulling her closer. "I want to be with you."

"Why?" She asked, leaning back a little to see his face, but staying close enough so that his arms remained around her.

"What'ya mean why?" He rebutted, frowning and a little irritated at how quickly she'd cut the softening mood.

"I mean I'm hot tempered and moody and spoiled and a spendthrift and a clutter bug…everything you aren't. What is it about me that you're so attracted to?" She asked, "Besides the sex." She amended.

He grinned at her and tried hard not to laugh. "Opposites attract." He teased, leaning in to kiss her, but she leaned away.

"I'm serious." She said, a bit irritated that he dodged the question. She disengaged from him and moved back, arms crossed in front of her.

"Come on Carri…" He groaned, not wanting to get into it. There was no way of knowing how much time they had before the battle began in earnest; his plans for the evening didn't exactly include debating the whys of their relationship.

"Why?" She demanded again.

"I just do." He answered, more than a little flustered. "There is no why. The moment I met you there was this…I dunno," He muttered in frustration. "… connection. It made what I had with Marie seem so empty and made up. From then on, that was it." He admitted. "I wanted to be with you, I fell in love with you… I've spent the hours you were gone in an complete panic you weren't ever coming back." He added in an accusing tone.

"Marry me." She said bluntly, arms still crossed in front of her. That wasn't exactly how she'd planned to say it, she thought anxiously to herself, but it'd do.

"Huh?" He asked, genuinely caught off guard.

"Marry me." She said again, her expression completely steeled and challenging, jaw thrust out defiantly as if daring him to say yes. The memory of him in the park with Marie and his son, teaching the toddler to swing a bat, floated across her eyes and she honestly felt as if she'd be sick. This was her chance to change things. She had her life back, she just had to reach out and grab it…and hope he had the same idea.

"Carri…we…I…" He stammered. Marriage was something she'd always been adamantly against and, truthfully, wasn't exactly something he was interested in either; not that he didn't want to be with her. They were very different and, even though her eccentricities were part of the reason he loved her, he wasn't entirely sure they had enough common ground to actually build what he thought of as a marriage.

Marriage, to him, meant in the Catholic Church, blessed by the priest, and sanctioned by his mother. Carri wasn't Catholic and she and his mother hated each other. Marriage also meant a family, adding on the next generation to their own, and Carri didn't want kids anymore than he did. He'd stand up to his responsibilities where Jessica's son was concerned, but he was done raising children and the thought of doing it over again was extremely wearing. Her proposal caught him entirely off guard and he was completely dumbfounded; unsure he could even think, let alone answer.

"Your only gonna get one shot at it." She fired off, still audacious in her stance, but he knew her too well; she was obviously as nervous as he was dumbfounded. "And don't think you can do some macho male thing and back out only to turn around and ask me yourself someday. I'll say no and you know it. This is it, yes or no, one and only chance." She finished.

"Carri…" He sputtered again, stepping forward and reaching out to her, but she stepped back, evading him.

"Yes or no." She repeated stubbornly, eyes daring him to accept. He was right, inside she was shaking. A huge part of her was terrified he'd say no, that wasn't what he wanted, that he'd gravitate away from her and towards the woman he'd had a son with. Marriage was, after all, something both had agreed at the outset was never going to happen between them; neither of them had wanted it.

"Carri…"

"You have five seconds before I retract my offer." She said testily, dark eyes hardening. With each passing second she steeled herself against the rejection she assumed was coming, still hoping though that he'd actually accept, but growing less and less confident as he simply stood there and gaped at her. "Four…three…two…" She counted down, actually getting angry at him. "one…"

"Yes!" He blurted out, stunning both of them simultaneously. "Yes." He repeated again in frustration. "God damn woman." He sputtered, hands raising to his head and fingers digging into his short hair in frustration. "Jesus fucking Christ! You are the most unpredictable, stubborn, willful, cantankerous…"

"I love you too." She grinned.

* * *

Kim and Tommy didn't waste any time talking. Before the door had even closed properly, he had scooped her up and deposited her on the bed. The first time was fast and furious, as if both were terrified they wouldn't have the opportunity to finish, the second slower and more deliberate.

At length, they both settled into a comfortable silence, broken by a few tears on both their parts on being re-united and also by what was to come. Finally, they lay quietly talking, wrapped around and intertwined with each other; both consumed with the need for as much bodily contact as possible, for as long as possible.

Kim told him everything about their quest, from the monsters in the desert to her vision of Primus behind the screen, her walk through the tunnel to find herself as a teenager again, and the adventures she'd had with their younger selves. He'd laughed with her at how frustrated she'd been at her inability to think like a kid again and her propensity to scold them and how they resented it. His eyes misted, fingers gently tracing the pink heart at her throat, when she talked of her revelation, of how she knew that she wasn't trying to recreate the past or take back what she thought had been stolen from her; she loved him, not the memory of him.

He frowned when she described finding herself with Carri and Karone in the stone room, the awarding of the Triad Crystal, and the level of difficulty they'd had adapting to the new equipment. He became angry that Primus had demanded they serve an additional three months as his Rangers before allowing them to return to their own time and dimension. Finally, as she talked of how the moderators had demanded she be handed over, he felt the return of the despair he'd suffered while she was gone.

"Isn't there anything that can be done?" He argued in frustration, one arm pulling her closer and the other gently stroking her back.

"There's a lot that can be done." She admitted. "It just depends on who decides to come forward in my defense."

"Jason said Carri is pretty confident that Primus won't allow anyone to kill one of his Rangers; that he's already overly protective of you three."

"Carri just assumes all zord masters are like Zordon." Kim sighed, fingers lightly tracing the muscles of his chest and silently trying to memorize every part of him to take with her in her memories. "Thomas is more likely to come to my aide than he is." She commented.

"Carri apparently said Karone was pretty definite too." Tommy added, ignoring the reference to Thomas. If Thomas hadn't conned her into helping him, she wouldn't be in the position she was now, he thought to himself bitterly. He felt Jason was right, Thomas had set her up to take the fall and then betrayed her again to save his own ass.

"Primus didn't even leave his lair for Zordon." She said, closing her eyes and simply reveling in the closeness while she could. "I'm not nearly as important and far more controversial."

"So that's that." He murmured miserably, chest constricting as defeat and depression threatened to overwhelm him again. He would refuse to let it upset him as long as she was still with him, he thought to himself firmly, jerking his mind away from sad thoughts. She had already begun to cry earlier and it had broken his heart; he wouldn't let her weep again in their last moments alone. He could be sad later, he told himself; she was still with him now.

"To those who possess the Great Power." She said, closing her eyes more tightly and pressing a tear stained check against his chest. "All things are possible."

"So I've always chosen to believe." He muttered softly, trying his best to keep the bitterness from his voice, his hand moving from her back to stroke her hair.

"I'm so sorry." She said, raising up to meet his eyes. "I've done it to you all over again; swooped into your life and then…"

"Don't." He said firmly. "Don't say it. It hasn't happened yet."

"Tommy…" She said, almost pleadingly, eyes misting again. She was incredibly grateful for a few last moments with him, but she also knew it was a double edged sword. She would have to leave again soon.

"I don't regret one second." He said decisively, eyes hardening. "Not one."

"Me neither." She said with a sad smile. Lowering herself down, she snuggled again against his chest, allowing his arms to wrap tightly around her. If she closed her eyes hard enough, she thought to herself, concentrated only on the strong, warm arms encircling her, perhaps she could forget what was to come. Maybe, if they could manage to love each other enough, they could keep it from happening altogether; but she knew such thoughts belonged only to fairytales.

"Did you do it?" He asked after a long silence. "Work to interfere with the balance of power?"

"Do you really want to know?" She returned, pressing herself more firmly against him.

"No." He whispered hoarsely, fighting with all his might not to let the tears behind his eyelids slip through. He already knew the answer anyway.

* * *

"I've seen them…" The resident Billy answered, "But I never thought they'd correlate to human use."

"As I said," The older of his two visiting alternates replied, "It's simply a theory."

"But as far as theories go, a sound one." The resident Billy admitted.

He was marveling that he hadn't thought of it himself, although, he had to admit, he'd been more than a little preoccupied. They'd been discussing the use of Aquitian birthing tanks and their adaptation to human use.

Aquitians, although mammalian and very similar humanoids, had given up natural procreation generations ago and, despite their unpopularity in the modern Intergalactic Community, continued to employ tank use. It ensured that the generations to come would be not only genetically free of mutant or undesirable genes, but also insured a stable balance between the male/female ratio. Although their physiology was markedly different, their gestational process wasn't. It was the alternate's theory that, perhaps, if Trini's pregnancy became too unstable, the fetus was not too mature yet to be transplanted via teleportation into an artificial donor for the remainder of her development.

Although fascinated by the concept, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to test the theory on his wife's child. On the other hand, if Trini's physical health continued to deteriorate, he would have no qualms at all choosing the mother's life over her daughter's.

"If successful though, how would you circumvent the obvious social ramifications of a tank birth in a semi-space oriented society?"

"Deception would possibly prove the best course at this time." The alternate answered, nodding to himself as he thought through the community's possible reaction. "I agree, a pre-Inter Galactic Community such as this would not socially accept or easily adapt such a radical scenario. However, you have the technology at your disposal and the means to keep the knowledge of the process itself locked safely under Ranger control. If it were my wife and daughter in question, I would feel it foolish not to consider the revision and utilization of such technology."

"You wouldn't consider it a selfish adaptation?" Billy queried.

"Not at all." His alternate responded. "Would you consider it self-seeking to utilize the most modern medical beds at your disposal? They're not available to anyone on the planet at this time besides the Rangers, yet you employ them for the most basic curative needs and have even unrestricted their use to the evacuees in your care."

"That argument appears sound." Billy murmured. "Yet how do I know I'm simply rationalizing the issues because of my own personal desire to see my wife's child live?"

"You don't." The alternate answered him. "But this is a strategy I myself would suggest to any of the Rangers of my world in a similar situation."

Billy thought hard for several long seconds; hand finding its way to his chin and pressing against his mouth. It was so refreshing to communicate with a like mind. He had been more than a little leery of Kim's temporary transplantation of the alternates, yet he had to admit that it had been a Godsend. To simply find himself able to breath for a few seconds in-between crisis had been astonishingly agreeable and to know that his computers were in competent hands when he rested or looked in on his wife was phenomenal.

"Show me again how you'd adjust the calcium and sodium modifiers to compensate for the higher human embryonic fluid levels." He said at last, and his alternate grinned at him.

* * *

The young alternate of Kim still felt like they were going to get caught, but she wasn't complaining. Their group wasn't being chaperoned at all and the young Tommy had quickly seized upon the opportunity to spend several long hours, if not the whole entire night with her.

As their playtime came to an end and he slid next to her in the tiny lower bunk, arms wrapping tightly around her, she thought to herself, a bit guiltily, that she was quite possibly enjoying the danger of being found together just about as much as his amorous attentions to her body. It was completely naughty and she blushed deeply, glad that the spooning position they'd shifted into hid her face.

Neither of them were tired enough to rest as the resident Tommy had ordered. Carter had already forced the group to retire for several hours before sunset; the girls and boys assigned to separate dormitories at Lightspeed. He felt it had killed two birds with one stone, both making sure they were fresh for the battle and making sure they didn't get into any trouble away from home. Unfortunately, with the delay in the conflict, they now had far too much energy to sleep the night through and more than enough teenage curiosity to get into trouble with most of the adults either too exhausted to care or simply assuming someone else was watching them.

The young Billy had announced early on that he wanted to delve into as much technology as his alternate's lab had to offer, leaving Tommy, conveniently, without a bunk mate. The room was tiny and the lower bunk way too narrow for two, but they were young and, although theirs had been a physical relationship from the start, they'd never actually had an opportunity to make use of an empty room and unoccupied bed before. It was a completely thrilling experience for both of them and the young Kim allowed herself to revel in fantasies of what life would be like for them once school was over and they could finally be together full time.

They hadn't actually been together all that long, but visiting a world where the Kim and Tommy were married and obviously very much in love had been a huge salve to her qualms that she might not have done the right thing by keeping Tommy for herself; at least in her mind. Up to that point, in every world she had visited with Thomas, including her own, the Tommy had been firmly attached to Kat. That she could have him for herself had never occurred to her until recently.

Thomas had saved her life when the rest of her team had perished, then taken her to a world where the she was to fill in after their resident Kimberly had been killed by Kemora. She was a replacement, nothing more, simply a way to keep the timeline stable. She'd been shocked and more than a little nervous about encouraging a relationship, especially one so physical, with the local Tommy, but now that she had seen two grown up Kims with their Tommys she felt much more at peace with the idea and was actually now willing to allow herself to dream a little of what their future together might hold.

"How old do you think K is?" She asked quietly over her shoulder.

"I dunno." Was the mumbled response and she was stunned to realize he was half asleep.

She rolled over, half sitting up, and nearly laughed. His head was pressed firmly into the pillow, long hair tussled around his face, mouth half opened; all together fairly unconscious. "How can you sleep?" She giggled, shaking him a little. Less than a minute before he'd been all energy; the contrast was baffling and highly amusing.

"Huh?" He asked, opening one eye.

"How can you sleep? This is like the very first night we've ever been totally alone together." She asked incredulously.

"You really don't know much about guys do you?" He asked, plopping his head back down and closing his eyes. "Just give me a minute ok?" He mumbled, stroking her arm a little.

The young Kim sat up straighter, sheet falling away from her. Self consciously, she picked it back up and covered herself, but he hadn't noticed the movement. Part of her was extremely irritated by his remark and she had to bite her tongue to keep from reminding him that she was a whole year younger than he was; of course she didn't know much about guys. The other part of her, however, was entranced by his sleeping face and the knowledge that they were together, completely alone, for the very first time ever.

How he could fall asleep so quickly, positively mystified her. They'd only done it twice. Usually, if they could squeeze in a second round, they would be jumping up about now, scrambling to get their clothes on and rushing home before one or the other missed curfew. Any thoughts that he might be teasing her were completely erased when he began to snore softly. It was dumbfounding, it was only a little past nine at night and they had already had several hours rest earlier in the day.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she laid back down a spooned against him again; a confused frown knotting her forehead. She didn't think K was all that old; maybe early twenties or so. The other alternate Kim was about the same age. The little boy she'd seen earlier wasn't a baby, but she didn't think he was school age yet. Rationalizing to herself that, if K was around twenty-five, maybe she could have had the boy when she finished college. The thought was a nice one and made her smile and hug the covers a little tighter under her chin. She wondered if she'd grow up to be like K and have a little boy like that. She knew all alternate worlds were different, but she also knew they followed similar patterns.

The young Tommy let out a sound somewhere between a genuine snore and a snort, and she had to stifle a short bark of laughter. It was so strange to know he was sleeping next to her, yet at the same time, completely wonderful. The movement of her stifled laughter was just enough to wake him slightly, just enough for him to close his arms more tightly around her. Her sigh was as much from pleasure as the realization that she wasn't very comfortable in the small bed.

She hadn't expected long term cuddling to be so uncomfortably hot. His rhythmic breathing against her neck wasn't exactly enjoyable either. It had been fun for the first few minutes or so, but now she surreptitiously moved a good size portion of her hair to block the worst of the hot, moist, puffs of air and edged slightly away to promote a little airflow between their sweaty bodies. Obviously, learning to sleep with someone all night long was an acquired skill; not that she was complaining. She was exactly where she wanted to be and the idea that they had many years of nights like this one together was extremely appealing. Sighing contentedly to herself, she snuggled against their shared pillow and closed her eyes, drifting into a very deep and satisfied sleep.

* * *

Jason opened the door to his small sleeping space and stopped short, eyes meeting Emily's. She looked as if she was just dressing, the flap of her uniform still hanging slightly open. "Sorry, he murmured uncomfortably. "I'll just…"

"No, it's ok." She answered. "Like I told you, I just needed a couple of hours."

He frowned, fatigue making his mind work a little slower than usual, "Told me what?" He asked. Technically it was sunset, so it was just now her time to sleep. He supposed he could ferret out what had happened to his recliner and catch up on his sleep there. He wasn't picky, nor did he need much REM sleep to recharge; an hour was preferable at this point, but he could make do with a few minutes.

"In the Command Center earlier." She responded with a confused frown. "I told you I just needed a couple of hours and to wake me up when you came in."

"Oh…" He answered, a bit startled, realizing that she must have come in contact with his alternate. "Oh, yeah…of course…I'm…I'm sorry." He stammered. "I'm a little tired."

"You look tired." She said in a gentle tone that puzzled him. Moving up next to him in the tiny space, she placed a soft palm against his cheek, fingers sliding gently against the hair at his temple. "Everything ok?"

Given how exhausted as he was, as traumatic as the last twelve hours had been, he couldn't resist closing his eyes and pressing his head against the soft hand. "We're stalled." He answered with a tired sigh.

"Then you should rest a little while you can." She answered, pulling her hand away, but he reached up and put it back against his face, pulling her a little closer with one arm, opposite hand pressing her palm back against his temple.

To his surprise, she didn't resist. She'd had several hours to think about what she was doing since she'd kissed his cheek in the Command Center. She'd known at the time that it was a silent encouragement, a quiet way of saying she wouldn't resist his advances should he choose to continue pressing her. She'd been a little disappointed that he hadn't come to her earlier, waiting in his room a little longer than she'd planned, but she also knew how busy he was and what the world was facing. She had already decided she could wait.

Jason was completely dumbfounded as she pressed suggestively against him, seemingly encouraging advances that she'd warded off just twenty-four hours before; not that he was complaining. He turned his face into her hand and kissed the palm gently, nearly melting as she cupped her fingers around the kiss and raised her own lips to gently brush against his jaw. Vaguely, he wondered just what had occurred between the woman in front of him and his alternate, but quickly dismissed the thought as other, more primal emotions pushed rational thinking from his mind. Shifting, he tightened his arm about her waist, opposite hand moving so that his fingers could dig into her long hair, and kissed her with an ardor that had been building since he'd first seen her again. To his amazement as well as stunned delight, she both responded and encouraged him to do more.

* * *

It was just after five in the morning when the teams began to congregate in the Command Center again. Kira had been moved sometime during the night to a small room next to Trini's and everyone seemed to be milling around and wrapping up last minute details.

"So where did you find him?" Aisha asked as she finished examining the wolf pup. He was less than a day old, but Cole had done an impressive job of taking care of him. She didn't know the red Wild Force Ranger at all; although Kimberly had stressed that he was awesome with animals. Jason, however, had teased that was because he was barely tamed himself.

"The temple on Muirantias." Cole confirmed and she frowned. She'd heard the stories of the original journey to Muirantias, but she had retired by that point from the Rangers and hadn't been part of the team that had gone there to rescue Kim and Jason.

"I'm not gonna even ask what you guys were do'n out there." She mumbled, shaking her head as she finished up her exam. "He's in good health." She pronounced. "As for feeding him, I can recommend some good formulas that the zoos favor, but I don't know how well the synthetron's gonna replicate them." She said with a grimace. "I think, if he's tolerating the milk concoction you made up for him, stick with that until this thing blows over and then we'll see what we can do for him."

"That's just it." Cole said hesitantly. "I need you to take him in with the other animals until I finish with the battle on the surface."

"Can't you take him to your home base?" Aisha returned. The storage facility she'd commandeered was far too small for what she needed. They were making do with limited sanitation units and an old synthetron, but the problems of overcrowding too many animals together were already manifesting themselves and they were only a day into things.

"The Animarium is for the wild zords." Cole answered, obviously not liking the answer he was giving. "The Princess says can't take responsibility for him…or won't." He added.

"Well why not?" Aisha returned. "This could be the last battle for our planet, she can't babysit one little pup for a few hours?"

"He's not exactly just a pup." Cole said with a little frown. "We're pretty sure he's Zen-Aku."

"Zen-a-what?" She replied.

"Zen-Aku, the wolf demon that possessed Merrick for a time." He answered. "He was looking for redemption and…"

"Merrick was looking for redemption?" She interrupted.

"No, Zen-Aku was. That's why he'd been following Merrick all these years; he was looking for a way to redeem himself. Merrek thinks that's why he attacked Kemora…to save the alternate Kim and…"

"Which alternate Kim?" She asked, eyebrow raising and eyes darting to the assembly of alternates beyond the archway. The whole reason she'd agreed to come to the Command Center and see the pup rather than insist Cole bring it to her was to get a chance to see the kids Adam had hinted Kim had brought in.

"Long story." He said dismissively. "Merrick seems to think that Zen-Aku thought he could redeem himself and save his soul from wandering forever if he did a good deed…and he did, he saved the alternate Kim from Kemora, sort of, and kept Kemora from taking control of Muirantias. That's why the Princess thinks the phoenix transformed him gave him a new life." He said with a huge grin. "But we're not so sure he's just a plain wolf pup." He rambled, smile fading. "I mean, Jason says he's Muirantian born and linked to the pit the way he and the two Kims are and he's always been a wolf demon so…."

"Wait a minute." Aisha interrupted with more than a little dash of attitude, pulling her hands away and backing up from the table. "Are you telling me you're handing me freak'n Cujo to babysit for you?"

"No, not Cujo." Cole responded, not understanding the reference. "His name is Aku. Zen-Aku actually."

"I don't care what his name is wild boy." Aisha fired back, using the nick name Jason had used to describe him a few months ago at the reunion. "You ain't giving me no demon dog." She exclaimed, voice ringing through the cavern. That's all she needed was for the pets in her care to get eaten or possessed by the thing. She'd been a Ranger long enough to know that sort of stuff actually happened.

"Aisha…" Kim said, frustration oozing through her voice despite her best effort to keep it under control. She'd walked in just in time to hear Cole's rambling explanation of things. "Keep your voice down." She fussed. The alternates in the Command Center had already been exposed to far more than she had bargained for, they didn't need to be listening in on that particular conversation as well.

She focused on breathing deeply as she switched direction and headed towards them. Jason had told her about the alternate Kim, which is why she'd entered the Command Center to seek her out before the battle, but he hadn't said anything about the wolf pup, and that didn't sit well with her. Another demon near the pit? Another demon touched by it? The thought made her shiver.

The pit itself was neither good nor evil, it was just a connection to the great power, but it had been forged by the forces of evil and thus had retained certain signatures that would always tag it and anyone associated with it as a source of evil power. There were many places where guardians and defenders would sense those tags and act first, asking questions later; not wasting time to decipher how the individual utilized their power. She agreed with Aisha to a point, the pup needed to be watched closely and cautiously, but she'd also experienced enough prejudices against demon spawn in her short life that she didn't need to hear it coming from her friend.

"It's a new born pup; completely helpless. It'll be fine." She said firmly, reaching out to stroke it's soft rooting head. It's eyes were firmly closed and it flopped more than moved under her hand; nuzzling it in an attempt to nurse.

"I don't want that thing near me." Aisha answered back, giving her friend a stern look and crossing her arms. "Or the animals I'm caring for."

"Someone has to watch it." Kim countered. "And we can't give it to just anyone."

"Then let me watch it." The resident Billy answered crossly, tossing his clipboard aside and striding over to them. It was a useless conversation and one they didn't have time to waste energy on.

"Are you sure?" Kim asked, uncertain she wanted to burden the resident Billy with another task.

"I'll place it in an incubator." He said gruffly, picking the pup off the table. "It'll be fine in there for a few hours."

"Thank you." Cole said genuinely, reaching out to stroke the pup's head gently before the older man took it away. Billy turned and gave him a look somewhere in-between frustration and disgust, omitting any mention of the turmoil he felt over his own offspring's crisis, then turned and carried the pup out of the Command Center.

"I should go then." Cole said after a few uncomfortable seconds. Kim nodded and he made a hastily exit, leaving the two women staring at each other.

The two were spared any further conversation on the matter though as Kat entered through the portal gate from Billy's lab, only to stop and stare at the group of Alternates who had congregated there. Her eyes grew wide as she spotted the young Tommy and her mouth opened, but Kim was quick to her side and pulled her through the archway.

"That's…that's…" Kat stammered, hand coming to her mouth and opposite finger pointing back through the archway.

"An alternate from another dimension, here to assist us with the damage Kemora's done." Kim answered, hand guiding her to a position where she couldn't see the young group."

"You think you're surprised." Aisha added, coming up next to her friend, "Think how I feel seeing myself like that again…and all those extensions."

"Guys…" Kim interjected. She and Kat weren't exactly on good terms, but she hoped the other woman would at least listen to her while in the Command Center."

"Those things are all the way down her waist!" Aisha argued. "Good Lord, mine were almost impossible to squeeze under a helmet, it about drove me crazy, I dunno how she manages hers. What're you doing here anyway?" She asked, turning to Kat. "I thought you had infirmary duty or something."

"I…" Kat started, then shook her head. "Tommy called me in." She said simply.

"What for?" Aisha asked, frowning. It was well known that Kat had wanted as far away from the Rangers as possible after she and Tommy broke up. Kim had apparently insisted she be given a uniform and volunteer, but Jason had quickly intervened and assigned her to work with Ashley over in the infirmary rather than give her a position too close to the action; which Aisha agreed was the wiser course of action.

"I didn't call you in." Tommy responded from behind them, making his way through the main chamber and over to the three women. He was followed by Carri and Rocky as well as Adam and Tonya; leaving Jason the only member of what had become known as the core crew not present.

"I did." Kim answered earning a surprised look from many of the assembled, including a few of the alternates listening in through the archway. "I…" She sighed slightly and pressed her lips together as if uncomfortable. With a brief glance at her husband, she turned to Kat. "I had wanted to speak with you privately before things got started, but.." She shrugged her shoulders.

"So this isn't about Chris?" Kat asked.

"What about him?" The resident Carri piped up, grimacing. Her cousin gave her an uncomfortable look, but simply shrugged as if she didn't want to say anything.

Kim looked again at her husband, who gave her half an eye roll, but said nothing. Turning back to Kat, she began, "The quest to recover the Triad crystal was successful, but the crystal didn't come by itself. Primus also gave the three of us new morphing abilities."

"Congratulations." Kat said simply, still wondering why she'd been called in. She and Chris had finally ironed things out, but it hadn't helped things to be woken up first thing in the morning with a message ordering her immediately to the Command Center. Her fiancé had rolled over with a disgruntled groan and not even said goodbye.

"For the battle coming, we'll need all the teams functioning." Kim explained. "With Carri and I utilizing our Triad armor, that leaves the Zeos two Rangers short."

"What are you getting at?" Kat asked cautiously, turning her eyes to Tommy and backing up a step. He met her eyes calmly and a little blankly as if to indicate he hadn't had any say in the matter.

"These originally belonged to you." Kim said, holding out the pink Zeo crystal and morpher. "You went on the original quest to restore the Zeo crystal. You're familiar with it and the pink Zeo zord."

"No." Kat answered a little louder than she'd intended and shaking her head firmly. "I'm retired; out. I don't want back in."

"It's not forever." Kim returned, biting back the knowledge that it very well could be. "It's just a loan. The Triads won't operate on Earth if Rita and Zedd hang around later; we're bound by a different set of rules." She added, looking back at Tommy again, who met her eyes but had steeled his expression. He wasn't happy with her choice, but he admitted it made more sense than bringing someone new in at the eleventh hour.

She wasn't exactly happy about it either. Handing over the Zeo crystal to Kat was far too close to the memory she had of turning over her power coin. She knew she wasn't coming back and by giving Kat her powers back, she was leaving the door open, once again, for her old rival. It didn't sit well with her at all…but it was the best solution for the Rangers and she knew it. "We need you Kat." She said earnestly. "The Zeos need you; if only for one last battle."

Kat shifted uncomfortably, biting the inside of her lip and wrestling with her emotions. She was still incredibly bitter and it didn't salve her wounds to be offered back her old morpher from the one person she was the most displeased to have seen it given over to. Kim was right, she had been the one to go on the Zeo quest, she had a personal attachment to the crystal and had been truly sorry to see it packed away. In a way, she realized, it was an odd sort of flashback. Kim was once again handing over the pink powers, but this time, there was no giggly excitement, no sense of wonder. They were facing the end of the world. This could very well be the battle that the Rangers didn't managed to walk away from. She was a veteran and as a veteran she understood what they were asking of her.

Part of her wanted to turn and walk out as payment for Tommy shutting her out all those years ago and a bigger part wanted to turn and snub Kimberly for having the audacity to have remained secretly with the Rangers and then return into Tommy's life…but the Ranger in her wouldn't let her. She had taken oaths; oaths she still believed whole heartedly in. Returning wasn't a joy to her, it was a duty, and it was that strong sense of duty that reached out and silently took the morpher from her rival's hand; despite the fact that a return to active duty might very well end her relationship with her fiancé. Kim smiled a bit wistfully at her and she returned the same smile. Both were relieved, neither were exactly happy, and everyone present realized it.

"So I suppose Carri handed the yellow crystal back to Tanya?" Kat asked, more to break the dead silence in the room than satisfy her own curiosity.

"I refused." Tanya answered simply and all heads snapped in her direction; none more sharply than her husband's. She looked down at him and met his eyes. It hadn't been easy for him at all to be on the injured list and sit the battle out, it would be even harder for him if she suddenly took off and rejoined the Rangers without him. Besides, she also had other reasons for saying no. "Time to grow up." She said softly, giving him a mischievous smile.

"So who's replacing Zeo yellow?" Tommy asked, concerned now that they were apparently still one Ranger short.

"It's not a replacement." Carri answered gruffly, letting go of Rocky's hand and walking forward towards the group. "It's just a loan." She said, repeating Kim's words. She pushed forward into the group until coming to a stop directly in front of Aisha.

"Me?" She asked incredulously.

"Tonya said you were the one to go on the Zeo quest, but you gave up the crystal to her in order to stay in the past and help your family."

"I…it was…I had to stay, history had already recorded that I did." She stammered.

"Well then I think it's appropriate that history should catch up with you and come full circle." Carri answered.

"I haven't been a Ranger in more than a decade." Aisha sputtered.

"It comes back quick." Rocky answered, earning a chuckle from a few of his teammates. "Take it Sha." He encouraged.

"You know you want to." Tonya added with a grin.

Aisha smiled more broadly than she had in years. Stepping up to Carri, she reached out and removed the crystal and morpher from the other woman's hand.

* * *

Teeg growled long and low and dangerously from her command chair, one thickly clawed finger tapping in an inpatient rhythm with her tail. The tail was back again, which in itself was a bad sign. She had surgically removed dozens of them only to have them grow back. She hated them, hated the physical evidence that she was no longer human but the feline demon spawn of her master. The hate fueled her temper and as the angst rose, so did her bloodlust.

As if sensing his mistress's mood, Rexo unconsciously moved a step backward. The past twelve hours had been horrendous. Rita and Zedd had been banished back to Bandora's Palace after Rita's disappointing failure to properly mature the towers and Teeg's temper had grown exponentially by the hour.

The news was not good. Triforia and Eltar had defeated their forces and were in hot pursuit of their ships; preventing them from returning to Earth. Aquitar and Edenoi had sent forces which would very quickly be upon them and there was word that the Rangers on KO-34 and Mirinoi had also deployed in an effort to assist the Rangers of Earth. Thanks to K, they were down two evil Rangers and he had just reported that the Nova Rangers had not only survived, but their megazord was intact and they were also racing to Earth's aid; within three hours they would be seriously outnumbered.

"Open the towers." Teeg growled coldly, her eyes no more than yellow slits of fury.

"My queen, without Rita's powers to mature them…"

"Open them!" Teeg shrieked, her voice cracking with ferocity. She would have her revenge on K. Demon spawn or not, no little upstart sorceress would be allowed to defeat her due to a series of unfortunate technicalities. She was the greatest scientific mind of her era, the greatest general, the favorite of her master…no mere adolescent nonentity would be allowed to thwart her.

Earth was no more than a backwater, a pathetic fourth rate colony of human mutts…Yet the Intergalactic Community raced toward its aid as if it were a strategic core world.

Zordon's daughter, the thought churned in her stomach like crushed glass. Zordon's Rangers. Earth had been no more than a prison to that pathetic, washed up old master, yet he had somehow cultivated it and turned it to his advantage…impossible. She would have the secrets he had buried there. She would have the coins K had stolen from her grasp. She would rebuild the key and use the energy of Zordon's last world to release her master. It was the perfect revenge.

She would triumph…she would slaughter them all.


	23. Chapter 23: Season's End Part 2

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Chapter 23: Season's End: Part Two

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri, including Kat's fiancé Chris and Rhianna, belong to KJ, with many thanks. Thanks a million to Chris F for keeping me straight on PR lore and for the NY fight scene. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me. The premise of the Coin Series was inspired from a story written by Terry, Chris, Daniel, Brice, Katey and myself, but has seriously digressed since then and bears little resemblance to the original.

_**The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

* * *

Dedication: I would like to dedicate the last chapter of the Coins to KJ, who introduced Katey and me to the world of fanfiction through her Ranger Scrolls fics. Without her, I would probably never have never started writing the Coins and I certainly would have had a lot more trouble finishing it! Thank you so much for all the inspiration, encouragement, and most importantly, friendship… and did I mention monster development? ……..Catch you on the flip side kiddo.

* * *

"I have good news." The young alternate of Kim said with a grin as she sat down next to her friends in the small anti-room off to one side of the Command Center that the group had usurped as their own.

"You mean they're gonna send us home?" The young Adam asked despondently. He wasn't having nearly as good of a time in this alternate dimension as the others seemed to have. At first it had been exciting, but now with all the delays, he was just bored.

"No." She answered pertly, giving him a frustrated look as she flopped down. "For your information, I was ferreting out answers and I think you boys will be very happy with what I've managed to uncover."

"Answers like what?" The young Tommy asked. Everyone on this world seemed to bend over backwards to avoid giving them answers to anything, yet if anyone could unearth them, it was their Kim.

"Answers like this world's Adam was thrown off a cliff by Teeg just before we got here." She said with a saucy grin. "He had to have back surgery, that's why he's in that chair. He's gonna make a full recovery; just not in time for the battle."

"Really?" Adam asked, perking up a little. It had unnerved him to see his older self wheeling around the Command Center. It was painfully obvious that the others were finding things for him to do rather than including him in on the actual battle plans.

"Really." Kim responded with authority, nodding her head. "I also found out that one of the Carri's became a Ranger in her senior year of high school, but the other one not until after high school was over…and both of them are apparently really famous on TV." She added.

"And people just volunteered this information?" The young Aisha asked. She already knew her alternate had left the Rangers because she was sent back in time, but why she had been sent back baffled her.

"No…" Kim responded, looking a bit sheepish.

"She means she was snooping and listening in on conversations." Tommy added, although not admonishingly. Kim's ability to blend in and not be noticed occasionally came in handy. All of them understood that alternate realities didn't necessarily mean they were witnessing their futures, but it was kind of hard not to think that way when both of the older teams had developed remarkably similarly. "You discover anything else?" He asked.

"Just that both Billy's are married and the one wife here is expecting a baby." Kim added with a grin, watching as the young Billy's cheeks flushed scarlet. "But she's apparently not feeling well and they're going to have to take the baby early. I think that's why he's so grumpy…he's really worried about her."

"All of which is so relevant to the upcoming battle." Rocky added dryly, although he was very glad for the information about Carri. The two older versions had developed…well, they'd developed. His own Carri was really pretty, but she was more lanky and skinny than the other two in this universe. The older ones had filled out in ways he hadn't imagined possible and he was more than eager to get back to his own version; especially if that was what she was gonna look like in a couple of years.

"We're assigned Angel Grove." Kim responded, un-phased by his remark. "Kemora hasn't shown up again yet, but the resident Jason and K are convinced we haven't heard the last from her. We'll provide backup for the home-team along with the other alternates when they go up against the evil Rangers."

"Those must be some evil Rangers." Aisha commented. "If they've got three teams going up against just two of them."

"It's not just the evil Rangers." Kim corrected. "It's Teeg herself. K's gonna break off and go after her power source; try and take out the connection to the grid she's using for her megazords. Besides, they don't want to destroy the evil Rangers." She added, drawing the closer attention of the others. "Apparently one is a former Ranger, a really good one that's seriously missed by these guys, and the other is the resident Carri's brother."

"Oh man…" Rocky offered, shaking his head with feeling. "She's got to be pretty upset about that."

"The core team is totally committed to getting both of them back." Kim continued, nodding with the others as they commiserated with the situation. "But apparently the goal is for us to simply distract them, keep them busy while the other teams go after Teeg and the towers head on. They hope that the evil Rangers will convert back if they can take out Teeg's powers. What that means for us though, is that we'll only really engage if Kemora shows up again or they need help."

"Which we pretty much already knew." Tommy muttered, sliding down a little in his seat. Kim had done a good job ferreting out what he'd sent her after, but he kind of wished he could get her to the crux of the matter a little sooner. All those other little details were fascinating, but what he really needed to figure out was what his role was among the three Tommys and he needed to have that figured out before things went crazy and he was suddenly sent to the forefront and needed in full capacity.

For the most part, it sounded as if his older versions planned on keeping him in the background which, although he really wasn't happy about it, he supposed he would do if faced with a significantly younger version of himself. Still, the leader in him couldn't help considering the magnitude of what they were facing and how he could strategize so that his team functioned to the best of their capabilities.

But there was more to having Kim spy around the Command Center than just discovering their role. He also wanted to know as much as possible about what was going on in case the towers showed up on his world. Kim had overheard the others discussing it; how the towers were linked to Kemora and eventually showed up on the worlds she did.

That one single piece of information unnerved him more than anything else he'd experienced in this alternate universe. Although it was hard for him to remember a time without her, their home Kim was a transplant meant to stabilize their world. Their own resident Kimberly had been killed at Kemora's hands when the demon had visited their world. Thomas's secret transplantation of an alternate Kimberly from a dead world had supposedly stabilized their timeline, but if the towers followed Kemora…the thought chilled his soul.

Looking up, he noticed his Kim watching him closely. She was nothing like the Kimberly she'd replaced. For one thing, she was his Kimberly. He loved her; she was the first girl he'd ever really loved. He wanted a chance for them to grow up like the others, he wanted a family, a life, a future with her…he wanted to learn everything he could to prevent the events on this world from destroying those wants on his own. At her frown, he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Shouldn't be long now." He sighed.

* * *

"Who the fuck names their kid Darcy?" Jason asked with a scrunched up face, plopping both feet unceremoniously on the counter as Carri scowled at him. "Darcy DeSantos…" Jason continued, unphased by her glare, and mouthed the name again as if it was a phrase from a foreign world. "The little bastard's gonna have to be a god damn gladiator just to survive elementary school."

"It doesn't matter what she named him." Carri spat nastily, toe tapping rapidly with impatience. "She's registered him on the evacuee lists by Rocky's last name…before the paternity test!" She hissed. "Can't we do anything to speed that thing up?"

"If you haven't noticed…" Jason answered drolly, pointing to the miniature monitors he'd set up, showing the destruction outside, "It's kinda the end of the fucking world going on right now."

"You got laid last night, didn't you." She replied drolly, eyes narrowing. His own eyes narrowed in response and held onto hers, lips slowly spreading in a Cheshire-cat-like grin, but he didn't answer.

The look brought back sharp memories of the vacations they'd taken together where he'd surreptitiously disappear for a few hours, then reappear more than a little pleased with himself. It never bothered her. Theirs had never been a physical relationship, simply an arrangement of convenience between friends. The self satisfied smile on his face now irked her more because she hadn't realized he'd been after anyone… and that meant she was out of the loop. She made an exasperated sound and propelled herself upward with an infuriated growl that made him chuckle, but she didn't look back.



"Will the two of you please stop!" Kat moaned, rubbing her temples. If Teeg didn't attack soon, she was going to strangle one of them. "Carri, she can name him what she wants. So what if it's his baby."

"So what? So what!" Carri spat, turning on her.

"Does it really matter?" She asked. "Marie was the one he cheated on, not you. Is it going to fundamentally change things between you two? Break you up?"

"No, of course not." Carri replied testily, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Then get over it," Kat groaned impatiently, regretting even more that she'd signed on again. She couldn't even shop or do lunch with her cousin, let alone get ready to go into battle, but right now there were only two choices for her to wait out the order to deploy. One had her seated in the same room as her cousin, the other with her ex-boyfriend who was sickeningly rooted to and mooning over a female who was equally on her out list. "It's a name, nothing more. Who is this Jennifer person anyway?" She asked testily. It bothered her far more that Rocky had had an affair while still dating her friend Marie than her cousin's current angst.

"Jessica…" Carri replied in a tone Jason, if not her cousin, knew was downright deadly.

"Anybody notice where the kids got themselves off to?" He asked, changing the subject and sitting up to look around.

"You're just now realizing no one's been watching them?" Carri replied sardonically, eyebrow raised.

"Oh come on, they're just kids, how much trouble could they…" He started, then stopped as Carri's eyebrow raised further up her forehead.

"Christ…" He muttered angerly, standing up and striding off in search of the teen crew.

* * *

"Talk to me." Tommy said, coming up behind Hayley as she examined the data that had suddenly begun pouring across each screen in the main room of the Command Center.

"We've got movement." She answered distractedly, even though it was an obvious answer.

"Movement?" Kim asked, coming up from the other side. She'd taken the time to sit down with the older of the two alternate Kims in an effort to try and explain what was to come now that her physiology had been altered by the pit. At Tommy's nod, she took a closer look at the screens, stomach twisting in a familiar nervous whirl that, even after years of facing monsters, still crept through her core just before each battle started.

She looked up and met her husband's eyes, her own confirming what he already knew. They held each other's gaze for a few more seconds, both knowing this was it, they were out of time. It was time to face Teeg and, when the battle finished, she would have to leave.

Tommy's jaw stiffened as he fought back the emotions he was feeling. Now was the time to concentrate on the fight, he'd be alone with his feelings soon enough. Straightening himself up, shoulders back, he lifted his head to see the others slowly congregate back into the main room as word drifted through each anti-room.

Above him on the main screen, the picture shifted from scenes of destructive weather to the black tower outside of Angel Grove. With a sonic rumble, the center began to slowly split in two and slide backward toward the edges, not quite revealing the metallic armor of the megazord underneath.

"Alright guys." He said with deadly calm. "This is it."

* * *

"I don't want you involved in this." Malek said firmly, not quite able to meet her eyes.

"You tell me this now?" Cassie asked, more than a little perturbed by his answer.

"You asked me what was wrong." Malek responded, standing and pacing the two steps that her small quarters allowed him before turning back to face her. "My entire family was wiped out by Teeg's towers. This is suicide and Kim knows it."



His eyes took on an almost pleading look. Try as he might to accept that she was a morphing Ranger again, being a Ranger hadn't helped his wife when their planet had died. She'd been among the first to fall and, devastated, he'd barely been able to continue the fight. When news reached him that his children had also perished, his own life had literally ended. It hadn't mattered to him whether he lived or died and Zordon's attempt to save him had only been met with bitter resentment.

Now he had come full circle. He was facing the towers once again and once again the woman he loved was going to charge out into the thick of it. This time was different though. As much as the thought pained him, as much as it made him feel guilty and disloyal, it would be far worse to lose the little girl in front of him. Despite all his efforts to keep her at bay, he was head over heels and positively giddy in love with her; as well as absolutely terrified he'd be forced to witness her death.

He was re-living a history he had shut away and refused to contemplate for more years than he cared to think about. This time, however, the stakes were far higher. This time, he knew he wouldn't survive if they lost.

"Teeg's never had this many teams of Rangers go after her." Cassie responded confidently. Responded, Malek thought to himself, with the confidence of youth that had never been known the devastation of complete and total defeat.

"You don't understand Cassie." He said softly, stepping back to her and capturing her chin between his fingers. "The last time I faced this, everyone died. My friends, my family, my wife, my children…"

"This isn't the past." She insisted firmly, standing up to meet his eyes squarely. "There are more than ten teams going into battle simultaneously."

"Cassie, we had multiple teams as well as Zordon himself fighting alongside us." He said simply, trying to make her understand. "Rita tricked him, Teeg destroyed not one but several planets, we lost…" He said, trying to get her to understand the magnitude of the battle. "We lost everyone…"

"This isn't then." She answered earnestly, stretching her arms up and around his neck. "This time will be different."

"Please stay behind in the bunker." He urged softly, voice constricting a little. His arms wrapped a little tighter around her small frame, pulling her close to him. "I can't re-live this a second time."

"You won't have to." She answered, returning the embrace and snuggling her cheek in-between his neck and shoulder. "Teeg has no idea who she's going up against."

"Unfortunately little one…" He answered, resting his temple against the top of her head, "I'm very much sure she does."

* * *

"It's not fair!" Rita howled, kicking an object that scattered across the stone floor and crashed into something beyond the throne room. "The greatest battle of our time and we're banished off to the sidelines! How? How did the Rangers manage to rescue that worthless yellow and the orb! Who could have told them they were even here? How could this be happening?"

"Stop your caterwauling!" Zedd hissed.

"The security tapes show nothing!" Rita screeched, terrified he was going to turn on her for what she perceived as an incalculable blunder. She'd been so close, so incredibly close to not only Teeg's approval, but Zedd's. She didn't give a rat's ass if Teeg abandoned them to the Lunar Palace for the next ten thousand years, she had been so close to winning over Zedd she could nearly taste it. "Nothing! How could two such precious objects in the center of a guarded fortress simply vanish and no one see it? Nothing record it?"

"Stop!" Zedd roared, flying up from his throne and descending down upon her so quickly that she yelped in surprise. "I am not entirely certain," He hissed dangerously, face shield mere centimeters from her nose, "That we have not come out of this little fiasco to the better." He concluded.

"How do you figure that?" She asked, brow furling in confusion. He wasn't mad at her at all, it was unfathomable. Her shoulders relaxed a little under the voluminous robes and she cocked her head to one side, curious to know his answer.

"I believe Teeg has miscalculated." Zedd said evenly, in a quiet voice close to her ear so that the many listening ears beyond the tapestries couldn't hear. "Even now, multiple forces come to Earth's aid. Her own forces have been divided and held at bay; her own ship left to float virtually unprotected. She has rushed to battle too early. The towers have not matured and no one knows how many will even open." He paused and brought his face back so that she could see her reflection in his red visor. "Half her evil Ranger quartet have simply converted back to the good for no explicable reason." He continued. "Her magic is science based, as is my own," He confided in a hoarse whisper. "Yet her technology fails her…She's slipping."

"You think?" Rita asked incredulously, heart beating wildly at his close proximity.

"I know." Zedd responded gruffly, turning abruptly and marching back to his dais. "No, I do not regret the order to fall back to the palace. In that regard my dear, I think perhaps fortune has indeed smiled upon us." He commented, seating himself regally. "We have only to wait this out. If Teeg wins, we take the spoils left on Earth, if she loses, we swoop in and crush a weakened planet."

"As you say.." Rita purred demurely…he'd called her my dear…

* * *

"So what's the final count?" Jason asked, pushing through several of the alternates and coming to a stop just beside Tommy at the main consol.

"Fifteen." Hayley responded incredulously. "Fifteen out of thirty-seven."

"That's less than half." Billy said, frowning and moving toward the main consol himself. He rapidly keyed in several sequences, then nodded in agreement. "Fifteen." He agreed.

"Looks like we got lucky." Jason murmured, steeling a glance at Kim.

"As long as you don't jinx us by saying it." Carri growled, shooting him an admonishing look. Not that she was normally superstitious, but in this particular case she wasn't taking any chances. She knew what the towers meant, had lived this history on several different alternate worlds. "What's the chance the other's will open later?" She asked.

"Very little." Kim murmured, shaking her head but eyes still riveted to the screens. "Once they open, she'll need to divert all her energy into powering them. She can't risk siphoning off energy to keep gestating the others."

"The megazords within the closed towers might not be functioning," Hayley said with a grimace, nodding at a side screen to draw Tommy's attention to it, "But it looks like they're still pouring out the claybots."

"Alright, deploy teams one through five to take out the unopened towers." He answered, glancing at the screen then meeting Hayley's eyes as she swiveled in her chair. "First things first, we shut those factories down and give the ground teams a little better chance."

"Looks like we've got an additional twelve monsters and some ground generals mulling around as well." Billy commented from the other panel. "I count fifteen towers in or just outside of Angel Grove, Washington DC, Paris, Amsterdam, Budapest, Astana, Moscow, Brasilia, Cape Town, Jakarta, New Deli, Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney, and Ottawa."

"Ottawa?" Carri asked, nose scrunching and brow furled, "What's in Ottawa?"

"Capitol cities were probably the first to be assigned towers." Kim murmured, "Looks like she put the first twenty or so in the capital cities to cripple the local planetary governments, then strategically placed the others along corresponding longitudes… but only the first fifteen opened.

"But Ottawa?" Carri asked.

"Because Ottawa's the capitol of Canada babe." Rocky murmured, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pressing his chin against her shoulder. "Toronto's just where your mom used to take you shopping."

"For the record," She murmured testily, "If my mother ever traveled north of the border, we'd usually go to Vancouver."

"Can we please concentrate on what's in front of us." Jason growled.

"I have seven generals placed in Auckland, Mexico City, Copenhagen, Geneva, Athens, Cairo, and Mumbai." Billy interjected, ignoring the conversation. "Twelve monsters." He added gruffly. "London, Berlin, Mexico City, Rome, Calcutta, Sao Paulo, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Buenos Ares, Seoul."

"That's new." Carri added, giving Jason a worried look before pushing forward to see the screens for herself. "Please don't tell me Teeg is compensating."

"Looks like it." Kim murmured, stepping back and giving Tommy a worried look. "She went for the most populated cities."

"That hasn't happened before?" He asked, returning her concerned glance. She shook her head and he inhaled deeply. "Well, looks like we're in new territory then." He muttered. Turning to his two alternates he added, "I can shuffle teams, but changing strategy is going to up to you two. You ready?"

As both of them nodded, he spun back around. "The weather calmed down any?" He asked the resident Billy. Kim had said the weather would begin to settle as soon as the towers opened. She wasn't sure if it was the effect of the megazord gestation ending or if perhaps Teeg simply liked to lure any civilians out in the open, but most of their strategy depended on the hurricane-like winds and vicious lightening calming down.

"Sustained winds in Angel Grove are reading just over twenty-five knots …that's down to about thirty miles an hour." The older alternate Billy confirmed. "Temperatures are hovering at approximately forty-three point three degrees Celsius or one-hundred-ten degrees Fahrenheit. It appears global weather patterns are also stabilizing. Ground forces will have more difficulty than the zords, but it's doable."

"Teeg's made her appearance." Hayley interrupted, and all eyes shifted to the main viewing screen.

There, before them, was pictured a wicked looking megazord. It was black and silver, with sharp spikes and intimidating armament. It looked for all the world as if something that had crawled up from the underworld and been dipped in liquid metal. Below it, a well armored Teeg had entered the battlefield; Rexo on her right and the two remaining evil Rangers to her left. As one, the Rangers assembled swallowed hard and steeled themselves for what they knew was to come.

"Let's not keep her waiting." Tommy said.

* * *

"Looks like this is it." TJ said as their communicators began beeping in the sequence to man the zords.

The Turbo team had been waiting with Andros in the main assembly room with several other Ranger teams. All were morphed and ready, but had removed their helmets. As they stood, several other teams received pages as well and the adrenaline in the room shot up exponentially as everyone exchanged glances and nods or waited in anticipation for their own calls.

Fred stood with the others and swallowed hard as he fingered his yellow helmet. He was as excited as he was terrified. He'd been briefed, he'd been encouraged, he'd been assured, but now he actually had to perform. He wondered if this was how his dad had felt the first time he'd run into a burning building.

Thought encouraged him a little, but he was still scared stiff. What frightened him the most, he wasn't sure; it was kind of a tossup between facing the aliens outside or the fear that he'd cut and run for his life in the middle of it.

"Ready Freddie?" Justin quipped, slapping him on the back as they headed out the door.

"Yeah…" Fred answered uncertainly, swallowing hard and staring at the gloved hands holding the yellow Turbo helmet; his hands, his helmet. When he'd gone against Ivan's goons to save the parents, he hadn't been nearly this scared. He wondered briefly it that had been because of youthful enthusiasm or the fact that he simply hadn't considered he could fail. Taking a deep breath, ground his jaw together, steeled his shaking core, and nodded resolutely once. "Yeah." He said again firmly.

* * *

Although the wind had died down over Angel Grove, the storm was far from over. The battlefield Teeg had chosen was up in the mountains, not too far from the ruins of the Zordon's old Power Chamber. Teeg stood, tall and proud, in a black metallic chain mail that tightly covered her from shoulders to feet; accented with silver shields on her shins, forearms, and chest. To any casual observer, there was nothing evil looking about her. She was a beautiful woman in beautiful armor, but on closer inspection, one could see there was nothing beautiful about the evil look blazing behind her cat-like eyes.

To her left, stood Rexo; blue-grey spines protracting and retracting at a slightly accelerated rate in anticipation of conflict. To her right stood two Mighty Morphin male Rangers, relaxed, yet ready. The wind blew dust and debris around them, but they remained where they were. Occasionally, the gusts would blow a smoke cloud from a neighboring fire through; lending an eerie ambiance to an already macabre scene.

In a flash of multicolored light, three teams transported in a triangular formation to the opposite side of the clearing. Front and center were the core group; Tommy at its peak, Jason and Kim front and center on either side. Forming the right wing of the triangle were the older group of alternates, the younger group forming the left. All were unmorphed, all in deadly readiness.

Teeg blinked once at the sight of the duplicates, but showed no other reaction or surprise. It occurred to her vaguely that Kaycea, as she called the resident Kimberly, had cheated; she'd imported alternates. But why her nemesis was willing to sacrifice her own soul to the continuum simply to 

see her defeated was a curiosity that would have to wait for another time. Importation itself wasn't completely unheard of, but given K's current status within that society, and, as a so called former guardian of evil before being encased beyond the void with her master, Teeg was very much aware if that status, it was a desperate gamble at best. A gamble that wouldn't matter much if the child succeeded in killing her. The thought shocked her. The girl was going for blood, a battle to the death over an already dead world. What had Zordon hidden on this planet that would drive the her to such extremes? The matter would need careful pondering once the battle was over.

Before either side could challenge the other however, a dark red glow appeared between them. When it subsided, the very familiar figure of a Kimberly dressed in black leather stood defiantly towards the group of Rangers.

"You weren't planning on starting the party without me were you?" Kemora crooned sweetly, eyes blazing red.

"Why won't you just die?" Jason growled, but the demon simply laughed and backed away closer to Rexo.

Teeg didn't spare the demon a glance and, more importantly, didn't elude to her surprise she had returned. She had failed to take Muirantias, failed to link that temple with Phaedos, and in turn had caused the failure of her armies against Dulcea. Teeg didn't want her there, the demon was uncontrollable and that was a complication that she didn't need, but perhaps it could be turned to her advantage if it unnerved Zordon's little brat.

"Hand over the coins Kaycea." Teeg growled. "And I'll leave this world."

Kim stepped forward, slightly in front of Tommy. Her stance was one of confidence, the gleam in her eye that of one who knew she had nothing left to loose and was looking forward to the fight to come. She held out her right hand, revealing four large golden coins.

"You mean these?" She called over the howl of the wind. Loose strands of hair ripped free from the band that kept them tied back and they whipped across her face, but she ignored them, focusing her gaze squarely on her enemy.

Teeg's eyes widened at the sight, but she caught herself. Turning to Rexo she jutted her chin sharply in Kim's direction, indicating he should scan them. After a few seconds he nodded slowly, confirming they were the coins she sought. Her heart began to pound loudly in her chest, pulse racing through her neck, breath accelerating, but she forced herself to remain calm. It was too easy. There was too much at stake for K to simply bring the coins out into the open. There had to be a catch. Before she could completely squelch the adrenaline coursing through her, Kim lowered her palm slightly then thrust it upward, tossing the coins high into the air.

Teeg's cat-like eyes became huge saucers and before she could stop herself, she lunged forward. The coins were the key to everything. Combined, they would form a key that would unlock her master's prison enough for him to begin his escape. He would rule supreme over a dimension that had become lax; over villains who no longer knew the meaning of the word evil. He would reward her. She would be the most beloved once again. She couldn't stop herself. Like a cat mesmerized by a floating feather, she staggered into the clearing, hands and arms outstretched to grasp a victory she could all but taste.

Before Teeg reached her third step, Kim's eyes narrowed. From behind her back, she produced a hidden fist full of golden coins which she tossed into the air to combine with the ones she'd lured her enemy with. Teeg stopped in stunned confusion as the golden hail rained down to the burnt and dusty earth; a few of the golden spheres bouncing off her head and shoulders. All froze, all equally as confused as the cat demon before them. Except for the ever present wind, silence reined for several long, heart pounding seconds. Then Kim began to laugh.

It wasn't the laugh the three teams associated with their friend. It was Kemora's laugh; harsh, nasty, and cruel. It startled those around her more than the appearance of the shower of coins and many of the Rangers shifted uncomfortably.

Teeg turned sharply to Rexo, eyes narrowing in a harsh but silent demand for answers. He worked a hand held device furiously for a few seconds, head slowly rising up to meet her gaze.

"They are all genuine." He rumbled calmly in his annoyingly deep and throaty voice.

Teeg froze in disbelief, then turned sharply toward the girl who had managed to thwart her on more than one occasion. "What trickery is this?" She hissed.

"Did you honestly think I'd let you have them?" Kim answered challengingly. "They're all fakes." She hissed, eyes turning every bit as evil as her twin Kemora. "Every last one of them; including the ones you hunted the NOVA's across three galaxies for. All planted to keep you chasing you tail. I think I did Ninjor rather proud." She spat, eyes and stance defiant.

"Impossible." Teeg returned, anger and frustration hissing through the words; making her sound slightly unhinged. "Impossible!" She roared, body physically shaking with rage.

"Do you really think Zordon would allow his life force to be sacrificed without leaving behind a trained coin master?" Kim threw out challengingly. "He knew you'd return, knew you'd try and free your master one day. He couldn't live forever, but he could make damn sure he made the next generation was ready for you when the time came. You might get Rangers out of those coins you over grown fur ball, but they'll never combine to release you master."

"Impossible!" Teeg howled again, talons and fangs bared. She threw her head back, clawed hands rising above her head, and roared. The sound was one of pure primal rage and it reverberated and rumbled through all around her, shaking the burnt ground beneath their feet. When at last her head came down, her fangs exposed and eyes demanding blood, Kim added insult to injury by wickedly laughing once again.

"Check mate." She snarled, eyes narrowing and laughter abating suddenly. "I win." She said with authority that sent Teeg's temper boiling.

"We shall see little girl." Teeg hissed. Turning sharply on her heel, she left the golden coins in the dust where they lay and marched toward her minions with her back to the Rangers. "Destroy them." She growled as she marched past. Continuing on up the hill, she simply disappeared into the dust.

Rexo's gaze followed his mistress for a few seconds, then he turned in his slow and deliberate way to face the assembly of Rangers with squared shoulders. "Let the battle commence." He rumbled.

* * *

"Here we go!" Hayley called and Clark and the two Billy's rushed to the main screen. "Looks like what they lack in originality they're making up in ferocity." She murmured, hands flying over the keyboards to show monster after monster breaking free of its holding pattern, growing simultaneously to sixty feet, and attacking whichever city it had been sent after.

"Are we covered?" The resident Billy asked, frowning as the Ranger teams began to deploy in earnest.

"All except for London." Hayley answered absently as screen after screen showed scenes of engagement. Although she tried not to show preference, the two screens depicting Tommy's Zeo's and the old Dino Thunder team flashed a little too frequently to be considered random. No one called her on it though and she continued the pattern shuffle without alteration.

"London did the best at getting their population underground." The alternate Billy murmured to no one in particular. He doubted it was a coincidence that particular city had been the last to be assigned a team. The underground there was extensive and they had been the first to secure their population. His eyes narrowed on a smaller screen that had stopped shuffling and zoomed in on a clock tower monster. His initial reaction was to groan, but he held it in. Hayley was right, none of the fifteen monsters were very original in their makeup, but all seemed to be tearing into their assignments with fervor and the walking sixty foot monster version of Big Ben was no exception.

"Anyone free to deal with it?" The resident Billy asked as the clock monster began to stomp up the Thames River and tear the roof off the Parliament buildings.

"Just Time Force." Hayley said with a shrug and a shake of her head. "They're still working on something related to the wave."

"You're honestly going to send Time Force?" Clark asked, raising one eyebrow and grinning a little despite the stress and severity of the moment.

"Why not?" The Alternate Billy asked. If they still had a Ranger team in the wings, that team needed to deploy.

"You mean send Time Force after a clock tower?" Hayley asked sardonically. Her eyes twinkled a little and the edge of her mouth pulled upward, but otherwise her hands continued to fly over the keyboards and eyes continued to take in every movement of every team she was assigned.

"Just do it." The resident Billy growled.

"Already done." She responded, frowning a little with her back to him. She didn't like working with William Cranston and Tommy knew it, but for his sake, and the sake of the planet, she kept her own feelings to herself and got her work done. Looking up at Clark, the two exchanged a mutual look of understanding and she realized he felt the same. How odd, she thought, at the very edge of the end of the world as they knew it, she'd finally met a like mind.

"Oh my god…" Clark murmured as his eyes broke contact with hers and spotted something on the screen over her shoulder.

"What?" She asked as he leaned over her and tapped a command on one of the keyboards. He'd stabilized the movement by putting an arm around the back of her chair and she could feel the warmth of his hand against her shoulder. The movement had also caused his lab coat to brush 

across her arm and she shivered as the cotton slid softly against the skin under her short sleeve. For several agonizing seconds, her heart pounded in her chest and temple; mind turning to mush.

"Three more monsters." He answered, snapping her out of her momentary giddiness.

"Where?" She asked, whirling around, both hands and arms unconsciously slapping into the arm he'd stretched across her as she resumed her position at the terminal controls. He jumped at the contact, the arm he'd placed behind her accidentally wrenching forward and jabbing her across the back of her neck.

"Sorry!" They both said at once, giving each other contrite looks; holding their hands came up simultaneously as if warding off something forbidden.

"Three monsters confirmed at the old Power Chamber." Billy answered, turning his back on them and powering up several auxiliary screens.

Hayley jerked her gaze at Billy's movement and stared in horror at the appearance of three small monsters quickly growing to city crushing size. They were unnamed as yet, but based on their appearance, if Cranston hadn't already tagged them, she was going to call them Lightening, Thunder, and Hail. It was only then that she realized how warm her normally freezing fingers were. Looking up, she realized that she had reached out and now Clark was holding her outstretched hands. He turned his gaze from the screen and seemed to realize the contact at about the same time. The two looked at each other awkwardly, then bashfully pulled their hands apart, but no one else had seemed to notice.

Turning back to the consol assigned her, she focused her energies back on coordinating with the other two Command Centers as the resident Billy began to assign them teams to watch over and assist. Her eyes lifted briefly as Clark sat down at the other terminal, reporting on multiple grid stability readouts, and then the battle began in earnest.

* * *

Tommy watched with a combination dread and disgust as the three cheesy monsters began to grow to city wrecking size. They were weathermen; annoying weathermen that laughed and joked among each other as they called out what unnatural weather related calamity would be thrown at them next. The first was basically a dark raincloud with an ability to channel water with a force that would have impressed the blue Ninja Storm Ranger. The second was a white and blue ice monster that froze the ground beneath them and made their feet slide when they tried to maneuver. The third was just plain electric and would use the conductivity of the other two with aggravating results. All three called a play by play action back and forth with weather idioms and cheesy jokes that had both Carri and her alternate spitting nails within minutes. Complicating matters, there were not only hordes of claybots, but waves and waves of Kemora's red putties. They were getting nowhere but exhausted.

With a pre-designed signal, he called the teams to fall back and regroup together. It was time to split up and get down to business. Part of him worried about the other teams, wondered how they were doing, wondered if the other monsters were also growing, but he forced the thoughts to stop. He had his job, his own team to lead. He had to have faith in the other reds and focus on his own task.

He found his Kim and held her eyes, silently wishing her luck. The Triads wouldn't stay. They were going after Teeg's main power source in an attempt to hopefully disconnect her from the grid she was utilizing, crippling the evil megazords, and freeing the evil Rangers from the spell they were under. His wife nodded and he returned the gesture; neither knowing if they'd ever see one another again once they parted. In a flash, the Triads morphed and disappeared in a red, black, and gold streak and Tommy buried deep the sinking feeling that threatened to once again overwhelm him.

"Let's bring it together guys." He called over the howling wind. "Ready?"

"Ready!" Three teams returned, as one, all snapping into ready stance. Tommy felt rather than saw the shift in energy as the Rangers prepared to morph. It was a familiar feeling, one he experienced each and every time he prepared to lay his life down for the safety and security of his world. He watched with a familiar yet never ending awe as all eyes locked on the monsters with deadly precision, all muscles instantly snapped to the ready, all nerves wired hot and focused on what they knew was next.

"It's Morphin Time!" The young alternate called, pulling his morpher front and center as the energy overtook him.

Tommy didn't hear the other calls. He simply watched as one by one a multicolored morphin energy wave seemed to roll over and consume the kids as they slid seamlessly into fully morphed Rangers. It was an odd feeling of déjà vu to see those uniforms materialize, to watch as the kids completed the morphing sequence and threw their shoulders back with a confidence owned only by youth. A time that was past for him, yet present once again. Like a message from Zordon, half forgotten and whispered on the wind that blew past him. He could almost see his old mentor in the swirling dust looking down on him with his gentle, knowing eyes; challenging him to live up to what he had once been and what he still had yet to achieve.

He turned and caught Jason's eyes, the two lifelong friends understanding and sharing the same silent thoughts; perhaps both having even shared the same vision of their long gone teacher. His friend nodded once, very slowly, and Tommy watched as the rest of his team gave the same silent 

salute. They were veterans now, not young kids, but for an instant he saw them all as they had been; as if high school were only now drawing to a close. Shifting his shoulders and steeling his core, he nodded once in return then spun around.

"We need Zeo Power now!" He called. "Zeo Ranger five! Red!"

As the morph completed for the Zeos, he turned to the last group of alternates and offered their leader a small salute. "I think that's your cue." He offered, then lead his team into the fray.

The alternate Tommy watched the Zeo's departure with a mixture of the same emotions the resident had experienced. The irony was not lost on him, nor were the memories of times gone by as he watched first the Mighty Morphins, then the Zeos morph and head off into battle. Was it so very long ago that he had donned both the white and red uniforms as leader? His eyes found those of his Kim and misted ever so slightly with the memories they had shared together as Rangers and the relief that she had survived her experience on the island of Muirantias. They had one more battle to fight and then they could go home. She seemed to read his mind, eyes softening yet urging him to get the job done.

"Shift into Turbo!" He called.

* * *

Hayley resisted the urge to slam her head onto the consol. It might make her feel better, but it wouldn't solve anything. The Rangers were doing remarkably well, considering, but the monsters were a problem. Too much energy was having to be diverted away from destroying the towers and her gut told her that was exactly what Teeg wanted.

It didn't help that they were all so…well, lame. The three weathermen on her home turf were bad enough, but it was as if Teeg or her advisors had been tapping into too much satellite TV and getting their inspiration from nineties kids shows. Not that, in her experience in Reefside, she wasn't used to really stupid looking monsters with attitude, but this was simply an entire planet full of rubberized city wreckers.

Downtown New York City was toast. It was just simply too hard for TJ's Turbo team to maneuver around in. Attempts to confine the aquatic monster in the harbor district had failed and the stupid sea creature was plowing throw mid-town, it's detonators blowing up buildings left and right. At one point, it had climbed the Empire State Building, setting detonators every fifty feet or so. The team's megazord had simply been too big to reach the landmark and had had to separate into their smaller vehicles, but it had been too late. The concrete building had already begun to crumble under the monster's weight and when the detonators exploded, it had disintegrated, the monster riding the debris like a surfer riding a huge wave. No one had been hurt in the catastrophe, but demoralized, frustrated, and angry, the Turbos had had to pull it together and reform the megazord; dueling it out with the monster, slamming into buildings left and right.

The Turbo team, however, weren't the only ones having problems. There was a stupid clock monster in London, a walking disco ball of all things in Sydney that had nearly blinded two of the Lightspeed Rescue team with its strobe lasers, and what could only be described as a walking, pig-like vampire chewing up Mystic Force. There was a singing monkey, complete with an organ box, shooting banana like missiles at Wild Force in Sao Paulo and New Deli was being pummeled by what could only be described at a sixty foot, upright, bluish grey Great Dane. From there the rest simply disintegrated into amalgamations of everyday object from an astronaut-fishbowl to pachinko-coffee machine combinations.

Her head seriously hurt and she wished she'd been assigned grid stability instead of Clark, or even weapons management like Kat Manx over at Lightspeed, but she simply blinked hard several times to clear her mind and focused on the task at hand. Every once in a while she'd steel a glance at the home team, but that only resulted in nervous butterflies as they were pummeled by the weathermen. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Why can't anyone tell me where she is?" Chris growled, voice raising. He'd been searching for his fiancé for the better part of two hours and no one could, or would, give him and answer.

"And as I told you, she's working, and she'll be able to talk to you just as soon as her shift ends." Tanya said, patience wearing thin. Unlike most of the others, she actually liked Chris. Kat's fiancé was spoiled and a bit of a baby, but she knew he treated her friend well and she knew how much they loved each other. He was, however, becoming a royal pain in the ass this morning.

"And that will be?" He asked testily.

"I told you, I don't know." Tonya answered. "I'm not sure where everyone is assigned."

She looked over at where Ashley was putting a splint on a boy's finger. Things had been slow so far, but she was sure the injuries were going to come pouring in anytime. Ashley raised her eyes to her, then smiled at the boy, lifting him off the table and handing him back to his mother. She escorted them out then turned to see if she could help Tonya.

"Can you at least tell me what's going on?" Chris pressed. "All the TV monitors are dead. There's no phone, no computer, no radio…"

"Chris…" Tonya interrupted. "This is a war. Communications for civilians aren't exactly a priority right now. The Rangers need everything open so they can coordinate their teams."

"So they're actually fighting now?" He asked, but Tonya stayed silent, neither confirming nor denying that the battle had started. "Can you at least tell me if they sent her out in it? I mean, if she's not here anymore, does that mean she's put on the spandex again?" He pressed. At her surprised reaction and quick glance at Ashley, he added, "Look, I know, OK? She told me the whole weird story about her high school years last night. Is she out there or not?"

Tonya's eyes bore into Ashley's, but her friend's eye roll was more telling than any vocal confirmation. Chris knew, but not because Kat had wanted him to.

"Yes." She answered simply. "Kat was asked to assume her former role with the Zeos. They deployed about an hour ago."

"Ah Jeeze." He swore, leaning back against the wall and covering his face with his hands. A sick bile began to rise from his stomach and he realized that he was actually scared for her. "Is there anyone that can just…tell me where she is? How she's doing?"

"No." Tonya answered sympathetically. "I don't even know where they are."

Chris lowered his hands and gave her a measuring look. He just simply couldn't imagine his Kat out there fighting. True, she was stubborn and fairly strong willed, but a soldier? That just wasn't her nature.

"Is she gonna get herself killed over this?" He asked seriously, eyes betraying the worry he felt. There was guilt too. He'd been a real ass to her, but he hadn't actually thought she'd go out into battle…she'd been assigned the infirmary; there was no real danger in that.

Tonya smiled thinly, her eyes holding a sad look for him. There were several reasons she'd chosen not to go back and getting herself killed and leaving her husband behind was pretty high on the list. None of them were sure they'd walk away from this one and she knew she was needed at home.

"Kat's a good Ranger." She said simply. "And she's on one of the most experienced teams."

"Somehow that's not very comforting." He muttered, crossing his arms squarely across his chest and frowning from beneath his wire glasses.

"I'm sorry Chris, that's all we can say." Ashley added, but his frown only grew deeper.

"No, you can tell me who the hell is in charge and they can tell me where my fiancé is." He answered firmly.

* * *

Teeg growled as the readout poured information across the screen. How things could have turned on her so quickly, so completely, she didn't know. She had never seen this type of organization among the Rangers. The Rangers were, by nature, isolationists. Zordon had been a minimalist, preaching conservatism of power and force. It wasn't unheard of for one or two groups to pull together, but they generally shied away from exposing themselves and sharing their secrets. This world, despite Zordon's precedent, seemed to have deviated from tradition and coordinated their teams; more teams on one world than she had ever encountered… another reason to take a closer look into Earth's secrets and what Zordon must have buried on the planet.

She growled as the sound of weapons fire rumbled through the ship. Rexo was keeping the resident team of Rangers occupied with his trio of climate monsters and she had succeeded in dividing the other Rangers power between the monsters and the tower megazords, but the Rangers teams appeared to be well acquainted with each other's strengths and instead of squashing the weakened groups like insignificant insects, they had somehow rallied and were turning the tide. Unlike the Rangers of her experience, they seemed to care less about the destruction of their cities and maintained their focus despite the damage to their world and their precious innocent civilians. It was baffling; they should she scattering by now to save the population.

Kemora was proving useless as well. She had nearly squashed the little Morphin team, but a band of Turbo Rangers had come to their rescue and now the demon was hard pressed to keep the two teams at bay. To make matters worse, Kaycea had somehow resurrected the Triads…the one and only team that had ever managed to defeat her before encasing her beyond the barrier with her master.

She didn't think Primus had a direct hand in saving Zordon's forgotten world, she couldn't imagine why he would want to, but Kaycea had obviously sought out his assistance if the Triad power was now in her possession. It made sense, that was the only way the planetary grids could 

have been purged. The sheer number of them alone would require a master of Primus's caliber to clean and reboot them or, at least, someone operating under his direction. Kaycea may have proved herself a coin master, but she was no grid mage like her old master Zordon.

Primus, she mused. Primus was nearly as ancient as her master. She sank down heavily in her chair as explosions from the Triad's weaponry reverberated through the ship, rattling the circuits and sending viratrons flying in all directions. He might possibly take an interest in the Demon King's release, although if Zordon couldn't budge him from his lair ten thousand years ago, she doubted someone of Kaycea's minor status could entice him to now.

It was a quandary she didn't have time to ponder. Kaycea didn't have the power nor the expertise to destroy her forces, yet she was very close to accomplishing that very goal. Just how she was accomplishing it bothered her more than the feat itself. She was a nobody; an infant sorceress. True she was the demon spawn of Maligore, kin to Dark Specter himself, which gave her quite a lot of potential if one was to scrutinize her genetic composition, but she had renounced that path and declared herself loyal to her dead master. She was barely a few years old, yet she operated with a cunning that was far beyond her. Briefly, as the bridge once again rumbled under the Triads fire, she wondered who was advising her and if, indeed, Primus had take a direct interest.

Primus and the Demon King were as close to the elusively named Venerated Ancestors as anyone in this plane of existence could remember … even though she knew damn well the Ancestors were far older and far more powerful. Her own her master worshiped them… Primus worshiped them. The Venerated Ancestors, however, concerned themselves with much higher planes than the mortal realm she existed in now. Why Primus hadn't moved on to embrace his gods but still dabbled in this realm bothered her. Perhaps he was simply waiting for her master to try and return. The thought did not bode well. Perhaps they should rethink his reincarnation…or at least time it better.

In truth, her master was far above this plane, but his interference in the time-line ten thousand years prior in attempt at absolute dominion over the mortals had forever bound him to it. It had been his greatest triumph…and ultimately his downfall.

She knew all too well how the guardians still strove to correct his manipulations. Long ago she had served as her master's tool as a guardian of evil; a sentinel in the fight to stop the opposition from retaking what her master had conquered. She had been respected then…feared. She was no longer feared though…no longer the prized instrument of her master…no longer a guardian but a mere minion…no longer immortal but forced to live among the peons she had taken so much pleasure in destroying. The demotion had been humiliating and she would do anything prove her worth once again.

These thoughts, however, did not help her now. There were many among the guardians of evil who did not want to see her return and would be more than happy to see the little demon brat crush her before she began.

"My queen…" A viratron interrupted nervously, obviously shaking in fear when she turned scowling eyes upon his. "Sensors have detected that the forces from Edenoi and Aquitar, as well as the Nova Megazord, have entered the system and will reach Earth's orbit within minutes. Ranger forces from Mirinoi will reach the galaxy within the hour."

Teeg scowled at the creature, but did not hiss, did not snarl. Long, taloned claws tapped rhythmically against the side of her throne like chair. "Signal Rexo to return to the ship." She answered quietly.

* * *

"Alpha?" Kim asked incredulously through the communications channel. They were being hailed by a fleet of three small ships from Edenoi which were just entering the galaxy and speeding toward Earth. "Alpha Five?" She closed her eyes and smiled, leaning her head back briefly against the rear of her zord's cockpit; of all the people, human or not, Alpha's was the last voice she expected to hear during this battle.

"Ai yi yi! I know that voice! Kimberly is that you?" Alpha returned. "What are you doing off Earth at a time like this? Does your husband know what you're up to?" He scolded.

"Trying to destroy Teeg's power grid." She answered dryly, although she was still grinning. Leave it to Alpha to think she'd bow to Intergalactic custom and simply retire just because she'd consented to get married. "Hopefully, if her power grid goes down, her connection to whatever morphin grid she's linked up to will blow out as well."

"Then let's not waste time." Dex's voice rang through her speakers and Kim could almost visualize him gently but firmly pushing a protesting Alpha Five aside so he could speak. "Triad commander, would you like assistance?"

"On behalf of all Earth's Rangers, I will gratefully accept all you have to offer." She responded she responded with genuine gratitude, tears misting in her eyes. This was it, she had gotten them to a milestone the other alternate Earths hadn't been able to reach...just maybe they could pull it off now.

"Any friend of Alpha's…" He replied. "Besides…I believe I owe your husband a favor."

"Hey! Don't leave us out!" Garan's voice called. The transmission crackled and popped, as if they were just a little too far out to make a steady connection.

"Novas!" Kim exclaimed, heart pounding and a fresh burst of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Tears spilled out over her cheeks below her helmet, but she ignored them. "Praise be to the Power and every god who had a hand in this. Girls, I think the tide just turned on us, veer off and prepare to board the Edenoite ship." She commanded.

"We're pulling back?" Carri and Karone asked almost in unison. They almost had it, Teeg's ship was on fire and they'd taken out more than half the outside guns.

"You actually want to board that thing or do you want to let the big guns take it out from afar?" She replied back.

"Disengaging." Carri muttered; almost, Kim thought, as if she was disappointed.

* * *

Emily sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes against the knees she'd pulled tightly against her chest. She had to pull herself back together. She wasn't going to do anyone any good by folding herself into a fetal position and bursting into tears.

She was scared. It wasn't the battle outside or the threat of wounded coming in. Those things she could handle. She'd grown up with monster battles and she wasn't so far out of rotations that she didn't remember her hours in emergency room; besides, the computer beds the Rangers had were incredible…they did all the hard work of diagnosing for you.

What had undone her was a defective monitor. She had watched the battle outside as intently as everyone else in the Command Center, except she had stayed in Trini's small room; under orders not to let the former yellow Ranger move off her bed; no matter what.

She had seen Jason morph and race off against hordes and hordes of alien whatever they were, watched as the monsters grew, watched as the home teams had gotten battered, beaten, and bruised, watched as the Megazords were called in and formed…and then watched in horror as the screen had simply gone blank.

She wasn't alone, Trini had been equally outraged, but at least her patient could be put to sleep. She was under orders to sedate her as heavily as possible if her pressure surpassed a certain threshold and hadn't hesitated. Unfortunately, that had left her alone in a darkened room with nothing more than the sound of a lone speaker crackling out sounds of various battles being fought by various teams across the world.

She couldn't tell which was voice was Jason's. Occasionally she thought she heard him swear or curse, but she really couldn't be sure… there was a lot of cursing going on. One time she'd definitely heard him yelling and barking orders to someone, but it had only been a blip and it was over before her head had even shot up in recognition.

The waiting was the worst. She didn't know what the hell she'd been thinking; sleeping with him the night before. She'd been thinking, she reminded herself, that he was going get himself killed and she wanted to be with him one more time. The aftermath, however, was a little more difficult to deal with.

She wasn't sure what scared her more, him dying and leaving her alone just as things were starting again, or him coming back and expecting a relationship. She'd promised him that. Promised she'd be there. Promised she still cared. Promised they could start over. Part of her wanted it more than she'd wanted anything else in her entire life…and part of her was terrified.

She sniffed loudly and pressed her palms firmly against her wet, tear stained eyes. "Come on…" She growled to no one in particular. "Come on…this has to end sometime."

* * *

"I want to know where my fiancé is." Chris demanded again adamantly.

"I can appreciate that." Andros said patiently, giving his wife a look only she recognized as irritated and annoyed. "However the battle for this planet had begun in earnest and I cannot take time to track down one Ranger out of the dozens fighting simply because a relative is concerned for her wellfare."

"Concerned?" Chris mocked, almost hysterically. "Concerned? I'm about to have a freaking meltdown I'm so worried about her."

"I can appreciate that." Andros repeated, closing his eyes and reminding himself he had to be diplomatic. He was in charge of the civilians, but he also didn't have time for this. He wasn't sure what he was more angry about, the fact that Chris was being doggedly obnoxious or the fact that Ashley hadn't told him about Kat's identity slip until just a few minutes before. He was already overstressed and on edge and it wasn't going to take much to trigger an angry outburst by him.

"But you're not going to do jack about it, are you?" Chris asked angrily, forehead knotted and glasses slipping little down his nose.

"Would you like me to have someone give you a sedative?" Ashley offered. She could see the pulse beating at her husband's temple and that wasn't a good sign. She knew bringing Kat's fiancé to him now was a bad idea, but the man was being unreasonable and loud and the infirmary was simply too public a place to risk someone overhearing him. Not only was Kat's mother now asking questions because of his behavior, Carri's father had also been into the clinic demanding to know where his children were. It was her husband who was in charge of the evacuees and he was the only one not critically involved with what was going on outside. She'd had to go to him.

"No I don't want a sedative!" Chris exploded, spinning around and getting ready to take out the brunt of his anger and frustrations on her.

Startled, she quickly backed up two steps as if expecting him to lunge at her. In truth, although it was completely out of character for him, he very nearly did jump at her, but in an instant Andros was in front of him, separating them. Within seconds he had formed an impenetrable barrier between the two, shifting in behavior from a mild and accommodating diplomat to that of an aggressive fighting mastiff. The other man jumped into action so fast that Chris actually had to blink several times to believe the famous Red Ranger had even moved. He looked up and gulped at the steel hard blue eyes daring him to in any way make an angry move against the blond woman behind him.

The ferocity of his glare surprised him more than anything else. Chris had always sort of thought of Andros as kind of a girly man. He was skinny and lanky and had always been quiet as a mouse whenever the couples had gotten together; never offering more than one or two words in answer and not really seeming to be comfortable with casual conversation. Cautiously, he backed up several steps and exhaled slowly as Andros's hackles lowered in response.

"Oh come on…" He groaned nervously, pushing his wire glasses back up his nose and still not entirely sure he wasn't about to get himself pummeled. Apparently Rangers were a bit more dangerous to be around than they let on. "Do you have any idea what this is like for me? I only just found out about all this last night. Kat's no super hero, she won't even kill a spider on the floor… she squeals if rain drops hit her."

Andros regarded the smaller man sympathetically, shoulders relaxing a little. He'd overreacted by jumping in front of him, but he was already seriously stressed out and feeling more than slightly overprotective of his family. What was happening outside was more serious than anything they had faced since the early days of Dark Specter and if anything went wrong it would fall to him to lead the survivors to safety. At the same time, he didn't want anyone taking their anger out on his wife. He understood far more than Chris would ever know the panic he was feeling and, in truth, honestly felt bad for him. If Ashley had chosen to fight, he would have been riveted to the monitors and nothing, not even the destruction of the planet itself would have moved him until he knew for certain if she'd survived or not.

"Kat's a very good Ranger." Andros answered in an attempt to reassure him. He'd never served with her, but he knew Tommy, despite his efforts to keep her away from Ranger activities, thought highly of her abilities. "She's with a good team…and she's not the only female Ranger I know that'll squeal out of uniform over a bug." He added, giving his wife a slightly disgusted look. In response, her lips twitched in a slightly sheepish smile.

"That doesn't help much." Chris muttered, folding his arms in front of him and sinking down to sit on the table top. Although he was grateful for the slacking tension in the room, his attempt at being assertive hadn't gotten him very far. He was no closer than before to discovering what was happening to the woman he loved.

"Hook up a monitor for him." Andros said abruptly, turning his head to meet his wife's startled face.

"What?" She asked, genuinely surprised.

"Hook up a small one for him in a corner somewhere and tag it into the visuals of the Zeo's fight." Andros repeated. "It's not to leave the room she puts you in. Do you understand?" He added sternly, turning a harsh look on the other man, finger rising and pointing at him in a gesture he'd seen Ashley's father use to make a point when scolding her little brother.

Chris nodded silently several times and then managed a small thank you. Andros nodded gruffly response, then walked away, leaving his amazed wife and Kat's fiancé staring at each other in astonishment behind him.

* * *

"They did it!" Clark exclaimed. "Teeg's command ship is destroyed!" He cried out as all eyes in the Command Center turned to him.

"Confirmed!" The alternate Billy yelled. "The shield is down." He called over the main communications channel. "Repeat, the shield is down and Ranger forces have entered the atmosphere to join the battle."

"Wild energy fluctuations everywhere." Hayley called to the group around her, fingers flying across the consoles to confirm what she hoped was true. "Looks like her megazords are destabilizing as fast as our atmosphere is."

" Initializing weather stabilization drones…" Clark called back over his shoulder. "Worldwide temperatures dropping rapidly…drones deployed and activated."

The next few seconds were a blur of activity. As Teeg's force field disintegrated and the overheated air below it slammed into the cold air above, they all knew they only had one shot at deploying Clark's new invention which would hopefully keep their atmosphere from collapsing. Whispering a silent prayer to whoever they thought might be listening, all in the Command Center suddenly froze in place and watched as all screens showed the deployment of the drones from the Lightspeed base.

"Weather net activated." Clark said to no one in particular and all held their breaths; watching, waiting.

"Atmospheric pressure stabilizing." The Alternate Billy said, then began a litany of readouts that Hayley only half understood.

"Stabilization sequences complete." Clark confirmed, then turned to her with a grin, "It's working." He added, eyes beaming. "It's actually working!"

She spared him a congratulatory smile, glanced up to see Adam throw his head back in relief, then turned back to her own assignments. It wasn't over yet.

"All teams…" The resident Billy called into the main channel. "The destruction of the command ship is confirmed, the shield is down, atmospheric conditions are holding. All teams re-group code Z-Alpha. Confirm."

Adam couldn't help shivering as he listened to Billy give the code to re-group. It was the code everyone had hoped they could use, but no one really thought they'd be given the chance to. As one by one all reds confirmed in near ecstatic voices that they were disengaging to await updated orders, he closed his eyes in silent prayer that they might actually pull it off.

"Looks like Teeg has one more card up her sleeve." Hayley muttered as all eyes shifted to her. "Those megazords aren't destabilizing, they're re-forming." She said incredulously.

"How can that be?" Clark asked. "Her grid is down."

"Apparently it's not." She responded, turning to him with a rueful look. Turning to the resident Billy she added, "Someone needs to ask Kim or Jason what we do now."

"We're already prepared that contingency." He answered gruffly.

* * *

Kim sighed heavily, then gave the order for the Triad's small megazord to reform back into their separate units. The megazord in Washington DC was toast and, by the looks of it, TJ's team was seconds away from a complete monster mash in New York.

"Can we please get back to Angel Grove now?" Carri asked impatiently.

As soon as Teeg's ship had been destroyed, they'd hoped that she would lose control over her evil Rangers. Both Carri and Karone had a vested interest in getting them back and both had been frustrated at being ordered an entire continent away from where they desperately wanted to be. However, a fully functioning team, capable of forming a megazord, even a small one, was needed to go after the evil megazords still destroying Earth's cities; not chasing the ground for two of Teeg's foot soldiers.

The evil megazords had done their best to automatically reform themselves and pull together in what Kim had described as a mammoth super zord, but with the aid of the Triads and the Novas working together, they had stopped all but two of the evil machines from combining. That particular goliath, however, had been toppled just seconds before by the combined strength of the Wild Force, Time Force, and Astro teams. The only thing left now were the monsters, which seemed to innately understand the war was over and they needed to cause as much destruction to the infrastructure as they possibly could before the Rangers destroyed them.

"Kimberly, we need you and the Novas to regroup with the Edenoite ships." Billy's voice rang through the communications channels. Which Billy, she didn't know, but she had only to close her eyes to visualize the frustrated expressions on her team's faces. "We've confirmed that Teeg and her generals have retreated to the Lunar Palace and are preparing to depart." He continued.

"I'm sorry…" Kim called back, pointing her finger at her cockpit's communications box. The finger glowed slightly red and her com began to crackle and pop. "I think my communications center is damaged. Control one…repeat…fall back to Angel Grove?"

"Negative Triad team." Billy's frustrated and irritated voice rang through perfectly clearly across her com. "Lunar Palace…repeat…Lunar Palace."

"Control one…" Kim crackled in response. "Our team has sustained damage. We're falling back for repairs."

"Confirmed." Billy responded. "Novas, it's up to you. Disengage from D-C and N-Y and regroup with the Astro team and Edenoite ships."

Kim listened as the Nova's confirmed, watched as Elemi dipped his wing at her in salute as he flew by, then exhaled loudly. She couldn't let herself think it was over yet, but she was incredibly grateful for what they'd managed to achieve. Monsters they could handle, an overconfident invader they could handle, cities could be rebuilt… they had only to mop things up; she hoped anyway.

"Alright girls, let's roll." She called on the internal communications system they shared. "We've got a couple of naughty boys to knock some sense into."

"You know…" Carri's voice called as they turned in unison for the west coast, "It's really scary how well you lie through your teeth."

"I'm not lying." Kim called back defensively. "My armors scratched and I've got a broken antenna. You guys?"

"Dents mostly." Karone chimed in. "I think I'm missing the paint off the left flank."

Carri's response could only be described as a disgusted grunt.

"Hey, you want to turn around and shoot up to the moon with the Edenoites?" Kim asked.

"Not complaining." Carri muttered as she adjusted her controls. "Not complaining."

* * *

The scene in Angel Grove wasn't exactly desperate, but it was obvious the three teams had their hands full. They had stopped the megazord from combining with the twin that had flown in to meet it, but they hadn't exactly managed to destroy them yet.

The three sixty foot monsters, having failed to draw the Rangers away by wrecking the downtown area, were now creating misery for the three teams by hindering their efforts to deal a fatal blow to the megazords. The three teams were battered, sore, and exhausted, but they kept up the fight; never once wavering in their determination to destroy the enemy.

"Think we should help?" Carri asked as the three women powered down on a neighboring hillside to watch the battle. It looked to her as if the boys were taking a real pounding and her heart clenched with fear for Rocky. Scanning the Zeo megazord carefully, she found where his zord attached and examined it carefully it for damage.

"Looks like it's under control for now." Kim commented, but there was a worried tone in her voice and Carri could see she was inspecting Tommy's section as well.

If it hadn't been so incredibly frightening, it would have been awe inspiring. There before them, were all three of Angel Grove's revered megazords fighting side by side. For Kim, it was an almost epiphanic. She had come full circle, having served on the Mighty Morphin and Zeo teams and having been rescued once by the Turbos.

This was the ground where her life had changed forever. This was the hillside Zordon had transported her to as a teen. The place where she had first drawn enough courage to perform her first morph… and the soil, she realized, where she'd fight her last battle. Her heart caught at the thought, then she dismissed it firmly from her mind. There was still work to do.

"I think they can handle it for now." She answered, and as one they turned and followed Karone as she used a scanning device to locate their missing loved ones.

They had walked perhaps half a mile when they found them. To their disappointment, they were still morphed and still in command of a good size unit of claybots; Teeg's evil spell hadn't ended with the destruction of her ship.

"If you're looking for a fight," Zhane's voice challenged from behind the black uniform, "I'd say you've found it."

The two evil Rangers squared off in the forward middle section of their small claybot army and assumed defiant poses, but something about their stance caught Kim's interest. They wobbled, ever so slightly, but she could see the fatigue in their legs and arms, see the heaving of their spandex as they fought for air. Teeg's spell might not have broken, but they were struggling; weakened.

"You know we aren't here to fight." Kim said gently as she cautiously moved forward. An evil Ranger was still an evil Ranger; Tommy had taught her that. "We're here to bring you home."

"We're going nowhere with you!" Josh shouted boldly from behind the blue uniform.

"What're you doing?" Carri asked softly in Kim's ear as she and Karone edged closer.

"Look at them." She whispered back, turning her head slightly, but still keeping an eye on the male Rangers and gyrating claybots in front of her. "Teeg's spell is weakened, they're powers are already failing. We have to get them to remember who they are; break the spell."

"Josh…" Carri called in a stronger voice, stepping forward from the group, "Don't do this. You have to remember who you really are, who I am."

"I know exactly who I am," The blue Ranger snarled in response. "You think the fact that you're my sister will keep me from destroying you Purple Triad?"

"Well, that worked well." Carri muttered under her breath as she stepped back to the group. "And I'm the BLACK Triad you moron!" She yelled insolently back at her brother. As one, Kim and Karone both slapped her, giving her admonishing looks.

"Ren's moons you're an idiot sometimes." Karone snarled at her in a harsh whisper, then turned to the male Rangers. "Zhane…I know what you're going through." She called in a pleading voice, stepping to the forefront. "I've been there. I've known those feelings, the struggle…I know what it's like. The anger and the hatered, they blind you…yet just beyond that, you have to remember the good things. You have friends here that still love you, a family who loves you, children who worship you…I still love you."

She paused and took a deep breath, surprised she'd admitted it and even more surprised to see his reaction. He staggered, as if she'd dealt him a fatal blow to the chest. It was then that she realized how much power her words held. Memories flashed before her of her last moments as Astronima, how her brother pleaded for her, cried for her; loved her with all his heart.

Decision made, she exhaled the breath, exposing for the first time all the pain and agony she held within her; all the regret for the lives she'd destroyed. She had been more than a creature of evil, she'd been the queen of evil. There was no reparation she could ever make for the sins she had committed in her lifetime and she told him all of this in heartbreaking detail. She bared her soul like she had never done before and would never do again. Huge tears poured from her cheeks as the agony she expressed reverberated through all of them.

"You don't want that." She sobbed. "I know you don't want that. You're the hero…the shining champion everyone adores. You have such a kind soul, like a little boy that never loses his faith in fairytales; no matter what tragedy falls upon him. You have to remember…please…" She begged. "I can't stand myself, what I've done…how could I ever survive knowing you'd succumb to that fate? The first person to ever show me what love, real love, really is. It would destroy me…I couldn't live…"

With those words, she collapsed to the ground, arms flung open in despair, head bowed, huge sobs pouring outward from her core. Carri and Kim watched, frozen yet silently cheering him on, as Zhane staggered under the verbal barrage, resisting the end of the spell just as they had seen others in his position do.

"You have to remember…" Karone sobbed, lifting her head and giving him a pleading look. "Please…I love you too much to let this happen."

With those words, Zhane demorphed, the tortured look on his face revealed. "Karone…" He whispered, stumbling forward. As he reached for her, she jumped into his embrace, holding on to him as if he was the only lifeline in a torturous and stormy sea.

That left only one male Ranger standing and, although he seemed genuinely curious and drawn to Karone's catharsis, he looked more annoyed by his comrade's defection than in any way about to experience his own psychological purification. Kim slapped Carri hard on the shoulder and her friend snapped her attention from the scene of the two former lovers.

"You're turn." She hissed, jutting her chin impatiently in Josh's direction.

"What am I gonna say?" Carri responded in an almost panicked tone. " You're the ex girlfriend he still loves."

"He doesn't really love me." Kim answered firmly. "He never did. He just didn't want to lose; didn't want anyone else to have me. It has to come from you Carri. No power in the universe is stronger than love. You can do it, just open your heart."

Giving her brother an uncertain look, she carefully stepped past Karone who was still clinging for dear life to an equally fixated Zhane. Cautious of the claybots who were losing patience with the order not to attack, she squared off against the blue Mighty Morphin in front of her; he would have to be a blue Ranger, she mused. If it was Rocky, she'd have no problem, but this was her brother. She loved him, had always loved him…but it wasn't quite the same. They still cherished each other, but they had also grown up and gone their separate ways. When she was little it had been different. He had been her rock, her lifeboat to safety among the choppy waters of her parent's marriage. Maybe that was it, she thought to herself. If she could just latch onto the memories of how important he'd been to her, how much she'd adored him, how much she'd needed him…

"Joshie come on…" She said in a gentle, pleading tone that actually kind of surprised her. "You and I have had our arguments over the years, but you know I how much I love you." She said, thinking wildly for anything that would in anyway compare to the level of emotion Karone expressed, she reached deep within her to the one uncertainty, the one fear, she had never allowed anyone close to; the one he alone had quashed when she was a child.

"We're all we got kiddo." She said in a soft voice that was more of an exhalation of breath. Tears misted hot over her eyes and she allowed them to stay and fall in great droplets over her cheeks rather than order them back like she normally would. "You promised me that once. Remember?" She asked.

"Dad might leave us, mom might withdraw, but you'd always be there to take care of me and I swore right back I'd always be there for you too. People can come and go if they want to, but you and me… we're always. You're my big brother, you have to try and remember what that means." She appealed. Pausing briefly, she rolled her eyes as she involuntarily sniffed loudly. It might be the weaker argument, she realized, but it came from her heart and she meant it.

"Karone's right." She laughed, the sound edged with her own form of soft sob, "As much as it seriously pains me to admit it, she's right. You don't want this, it's not you. You're needed here…I need you here. If I don't have my brother…what do I have? I need you Joshie." She said, almost helplessly, in a tone none of them had ever heard from her before.

Kim held her breath as she watched the blue Ranger stare at his sister. He didn't move, didn't speak, and it seemed as if that was all Carri had to offer as well. She still cared for Josh, she admitted silently to herself. If you ever truly allowed yourself to love, it never really died away. You could squash it, forget about it, burry it in anger, but it never really left you. She still loved Elemi too, although she'd never admit any of those feelings publically. It didn't matter now anyway and, in Josh's case, she doubted it would make a difference. She was right, although she believed Josh had cared for her, she didn't believe he'd actually loved her. Not the way Tommy loved her anyway.

With huge, soul aching relief, she watched as Josh powered down and walked forward to embrace his sister. She supposed she'd underestimated her friend, she thought from behind tear laced eyes. The appeal had come from the heart and she had intuitively known what her brother needed to hear to break the remnants of the spell. The claybots, however, had had enough. Now leaderless, they swarmed forward and Kim jumped instantly to action, morphing into her Triad armor and racing forward.

"Don't mind me…" She called gruffly to the girls. "I'll just handle the claybots on my own…all by myself…alone…while you guys have a little hug fest…"

"I think we get the message." Karone drolled, activating her armor and jump kicking a claybot that was charging her. "Duck!" She ordered and Zhane obediently squatted down as she spun around to back kick another that had tried to jump him.

"Yeah…yeah…give me a second ok?" Carri called, breaking the hug with her brother just long enough to back fist a claybot, then grab it and swing it into another. "I'll be right back." She told him, sniffing loudly one more time and rubbing her forearm against her nose. Activating her armor, she charged off into the fray of wild claybots turned kamikazes.

"Hey!" Zhane called out indignantly as the girls all but abandoned them on the burnt and charred hillside. "We're not exactly helpless civilians you know."

Turning to Josh, he gave the other man his most charmingly roguish look. "You ready?" He asked mischievously, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm ready." Josh answered with a an enthusiastic grin.

"It's morphin time!" Zhane called.



* * *

Chris watched the transformation of the evil Rangers back into their human selves with a curious look on his face. Trying to get a better view of the megazord his future wife was helping to pilot, he'd accidentally tuned into the scene. Both the picture and the audio were pretty good, so he assumed someone, somewhere in the main control room had also tuned their scanners to witness it.

He was actually rather impressed with his fiancé 's cousin. Personally, he considered her about as cuddly as a porcupine with the personality of a rabid wolverine, but she'd actually managed some fairly decent sized tears over her evilized brother. Either she was an astoundingly good actress or the toxic bitch actually had a heart buried underneath her bitchy persona. Of course, it probably pumped raw acid through her veins, but he was only willing to give her just so much credit in one day.

It didn't surprise him one bit that Kat's cousin was a Power Ranger. That was what he envisioned Power Ranger women would be like: muscular, mean, and manic. He shook his head, trying to envision his Kat in the same light. She was just too sweet, too gentle, too kind. His frown deepened and shoulders sank as an overwhelming panic and concern for her threatened to smother him.

Taking off his glasses, he rubbed his eyes, then set about fiddling with the controls on the small monitor again. As he patiently flipped through various scenes, it occurred to him that the battles seemed to be winding up, the fighting less intense. There were more and more scenes of monsters and alien robots exploding and far more cheering from the home teams. Finally, he found the channel he wanted and leaned his face closer to the tiny screen; hoping desperately that Kat's battle would soon be over too.

* * *

As the last of Angel Grove's monsters exploded into hillside fertilizer, Carri slammed into a boulder as if sliding into home base; demorphing as she bounced off it. "Someone forgot to tell him that Angel Grove's weathermen are always wrong." She muttered, giving the falling shards one last scowl.

The claybot scuffle ended, the Triads had taken the restored Rangers back to the Command Center for a medical evaluation and then joined the home team and their alternates for the last of the mop-up on their home turf. Now, the last monster was in a gazillion pieces, the towers lay in ruins…and the battle was over.

"That's funny." Karone replied in a droll tone, also skidding to a stop from the monsters last punch and demorphing. "You're funny." She added, giving Carri a sarcastic look, then spun around to join the other Rangers running excitedly over to them. "Everyone in one piece?" She asked, referring to groups of alternates powering down and checking on injuries.

"Looks like only a few cuts and bruises on our team." Kat answered her, although Aisha was moving a bit too slow and holding her arm a bit too tightly for just a sprain. They'd been jarred around and battered far harder than she'd ever remembered enduring as a teen.

"Speak for yourself." Jason grumbled, detaching his helmet and rubbing his jaw as he came up alongside the girls. His ribs felt like they'd been mulched and he didn't dare demorph until he was close to a medbed. "I think I lost a tooth." He complained, spitting blood into the dirt. "God damn son of a bitch fucking evil megazord. Who the hell changed the rules and gave the other side fucking megazords!" He growled at her.

"You'll live…" Tommy grunted, slapping his shoulder but also quickening his pace as he shot past them and spied the objective he'd been searching through the dust for. He reached his wife just as she powered down and very unceremoniously picked her up, tossing her in the air like a child, then caught her and spun her around. She squealed half in delight and half in embarrassment as he continued to spin her, finally stopping abruptly and allowing her to slide down the front of him. "Score one team Oliver." He grinned mischievously, capturing her mouth in a kiss that left not only the teen crew, but the adults slightly embarrassed and shuffling.

"Oh my God…" Rocky groaned in relief as he reached his Carri, wrapping grateful and weary arms around her. "We did it babe…" He said in a shaking voice, holding her closely.

"Yeah…" She whispered, hugging him equally as tight. "We actually did."

"Uhm…guys…" The young alternate of Kim called uncertainly as the rest of the crews began to power down and congratulate one another. "I don't think it's over yet!" She called, voice raising several octaves. "Look!"

As one, the assembly ceased their euphoric congratulations of one another and turned en masse. There, walking steadily towards them up the hillside as if he had no fear in the universe, was Goldar himself. The older versions hadn't seen Zedd's old master warrior since before the Zordon wave and stared in stunned astonishment as memories of another time and other battles played through their minds. But the younger crew was still all too familiar with the blue winged monster, nerves still too tightly programmed to react when they saw him. They snapped to the defensive, ready to spring incase the seniors had lost their edge.

Goldar stopped just short of the assembly, shoulders back, his heavy armor gleaming in the bright afternoon sunlight. He was still an awesome sight; the consummate warrior and fighting machine. Slowly, he raised his broad sword toward the resident Kimberly.

"You owe me triple." He rumbled, but said nothing more; simply stood there pointing his sword.

"That's what those goofballs said." Karone spoke up, moving in Kim's direction. "He wanted triple. Triple what?" She asked, throwing her hands up as if the question had been frustrating her for days.

"The deal was one case of Chef Boy R Dee Ravioli a month for an entire year." Kim said drolly, meeting her eyes with a sardonic look. "If I can find it in all this chaos," She continued, turning a firm, no-nonsense glare in Goldar's direction, hand coming up automatically to her hip, "I believe one case a month for the next three years is doable; considering."

Goldar grunted and nodded his head as if the terms were acceptable, then raised both arms upward in a questioning gesture, his now loose sword swinging idly from one hand, "Do you mind?" He asked gruffly, "I have things to do you know."

Kim smirked in amusement as she stepped slightly away from her husband. Calling her Phaedosian staff, she pointed it directly at the old blue warrior. There was a loud crack as red energy poured from the shaft and shot across the clearing to engulf the winged nightmare of her high school days. Red light swallowed up him and he roared, not in pain, the Rangers thought, but as if he was simply making the sound for the hell of it; as if he knew he could and wouldn't be able to do it later. The roar ceased with the vanishing light and the assembly watched in stunned amazement as the giant beast reduced in size to a rather thin looking middle aged man, dressed in a loud Hawaiian print shirt and kakis. He was barefoot, long unruly black hair pulled back in a scraggily pony tail, thin boyish looking scruff dangling from his face in a lame attempt at a beard.

"Surf's up dudes." He called, voice still as shockingly deep and menacing as before, creating a sharp contrast of images. He nodded once, gave a thumbs up sign, then turned and walked away in long, lanky strides.

"Please don't tell me I just saw that." The young alternate of Tommy said cautiously, eyes wide, a stunned expression on his face that gave both Carri's the distinct impression the poor kid was probably traumatized for life.

"Demonspawn are people too." The resident Kim answered in mock admonishment, but her own Tommy simply looked down at her with a stare that suggested he was equally stunned and speechless. She tisked and reached up on tip toe to quickly kiss his lips. "You should know that by now." She chided softly, then winked.

* * *

"Is that it?" Hayley asked breathlessly as the monitor in front of her indicated the giant money monster has disintegrated into a massive ball of flying fruit and fur. Her hands hovered over the control panel momentarily as if confused that the rapid tapping of commands had stopped, then slowly came to a rest by the sides of her keyboard.

"That's it." That resident Billy confirmed, head bowing and sinking into his chair like a man twice his age. He took a giant inhalation of air, raised his eyes in thankful praise to heaven, then bounded out of his seat to tell his wife the news.

"We did it…" Clark said softly, incredulously.

"Confirmed." The alternate Billy grinned, eyes beaming. "All teams reporting victory. They're coming home."

"We did it!" Hayley screamed, jumping up from her seat and throwing her arms around the nearest person she could find…which just happened to be Clark.

All through the NASADA bunker, the word rolled through each room, each antechamber like a huge explosion of relief and joy. The world was secure, the invaders in retreat, the Rangers had saved the day once again.

* * *

"K!" Kee squealed as she rushed into her mentor's arms. "I'm so happy to see you." She exclaimed into the older woman's shoulder, then remembered who she was and that there was an huge audience of Rangers milling around on the charred surface and moved back sheepishly.

"And I'm very happy to see you all as well." Kim answered genuinely, giving the Novas a delighted smile. "You came just in time to save the day. Earth is forever in your debt."

"We found these." Elemi said, pleased by her words yet stoic and reserved as a man of his culture should be in public. Raising his hand, he placed the golden coins Teeg had left in the dust within her palm. "Our sensors indicate they're authentic." He said gruffly, meeting her eyes firmly. "Every last one of them."

"I didn't have time to contact you." Kim responded softly, not apologizing, but at the same time commiserating with the conclusions he knew he'd drawn; their quest had been a vain one."There was only one original coin." Kim continued simply. "The one Rita took from Zordon's Green Ranger ten thousand years ago. All the rest were simply copies, even the ones Zordon gave the Mighty Morphins.

"Then Ninjor lied to you." Elemi spat angrily.

"No," Kim said, shaking her head. Ninjor was so senile she doubted he had even realized copies had been made. "Ninjor knew only that the key had been divided, that Zordon had had him incased the shard remnants in the six Mighty Morphin coins. I don't think he ever knew copies had been made or even which Zordon from which dimension had asked him to do it…or at least that particular memory has left him."

The story was complicated, but she simplified it as much as possible as all of them had been Zordon's Rangers in their own universes and she considered the Novas to be her own team. Zordon had been an interdimensional being; traveling in and out of various alternate universes and coordinating with his various alternates up until the time Rita had tricked him and incased him in his energy warp. Just which Zordon had been the one to fight the Demon King, she didn't know, but it was her theory that perhaps it was several of them coordinating as one since that particular conflict had involved a multidimensional timeline shift and the fight had spanned beyond the confines the linear planes of mortal existence.

When the battle had ended, each alternate universe had snapped back to its original state of being, isolated once again from the others and progressing along their own linear planes towards their own separate futures. However the key itself was not a linear object. The shards of the key existed, but they existed in and outside of dimensional boundaries; there, but not there.

"It think this is why there are universes where Zordon found himself in possession of a set of original power coins, but had no knowledge of where they came from or if the there was any truth in the legend of Ninjor." Kim concluded, frowning as if contemplating something to herself. She shrugged as if she decided it didn't matter. "What I do know for certain is that all alternate universes with a Mighty Morphin team seem to have original coins, dating back to that same battle, but none of them possesses within them the key fragments; only a reverberation of the original keys power. Teeg was searching for that reverberation, assuming that would lead her to an actual shard. It was a brilliant way to hide them… all she's managed to find is what I found….echoes of what we were really after."

"So the key doesn't exist?" Xemmas asked.

"Oh no, it exists." Kim assured him. Holding out her hand, the golden Dragonzord coin appeared with a flash of light. "The irony is that Teeg actually had an authentic shard coin but she failed to compare it to the others. It's identical to the others in every way except for one critical difference…it had no signatures of any of the young Tommys; only our Tommy's signature which has been altered by his sequence of morphers. In almost every alternate universe we've encountered, Tommy has been given the Dragonzord coin by Rita…but not this one. How she got it," Kim sighed, shaking her head to indicate she was baffled, "I don't know…but it has never been used by our Zordon here on this Earth or any other."

"How can you be sure then that it's not just another copy?" Kee asked.

"Because of this…" Kim said, catching Carri and Karone's eyes and indicating they should assist her. The three moved slightly away from the others and joined hands, forming a triangular, star-like pattern.

They didn't say a word, didn't chant or give a code that would activate their powers, they simply looked at one another and knew how to combine their powers in the same instant. As the triangular center between them began to glow, the coin suddenly broke free of Kim's hold and flew into the midpoint, slowly spinning in mid-air and then picking up speed to whirl rapidly. In a bright flash of green energy that left those around them blinking and covering their eyes, the golden coin vanished and in the center of the Triad's power arc hung a tiny and thin green shard.

"This is what Teeg's searching for." Kim said, eyes never leaving the suspended fragment. "This is what the Zordons were trying to hide before being forced back to into their own dimensions via Rita's energy warp. Memorize it." She commanded, and all eyes stared into its glowing core. "Once you see it, feel it, you'll always know the copies; even if mechanical sensors tell you it's real."

Nodding to one another, the Triads then shifted their powers into a sequence Primus had taught them for just such an occasion. The white light increased its brightness tenfold between them; so bright that all had to look away or be blinded. When the glow subsided, each was holding a tiny third of the green crystal, which Kim stepped forward and took from them.

"If Teeg is searching here in our dimension." She said, turning back to the groups of assembled Rangers, "Then her alternates will be searching in other dimensions as well. She has a lifespan far greater than any of us here. It's too dangerous that she will discover the truth and set about coordinating the search with her alternates. The Triads have already begun an interdimensional search for the shards. They're no longer hidden well enough. We can't risk that Teeg hasn't come or will come to the same realizations I have."

Stepping forward to her counterparts, she handed each one third of the green shard. "Tell no one you have it." She advised each sternly. "When the time comes, each of you will know the securest hiding place when you find it. Take these as well." She added, and two small red gemstones appeared in her outstretched hand. "Our dimensions are linked now. If ever you assistance, you will be able to reach me…or Jason," She quickly amended, "Through these red crystals. We'll come immediately to your aide."

Placing her own third into her pocket, she stepped away and turned to the groups. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done here. You've placed your own lives at risk, your own dimensions, simply on the…" She stopped as the ringing sound of zacada cut her off. Instantly, her Tommy was by her side, arms wrapping around her tightly as if he expected the Demon King himself to appear.

"Thomas!" The young alternate of Kimberly exclaimed, rushing up to him and throwing her arms around him. The eldest version of Tommy stood still, allowing the contact but not acknowledging it either. "I have so many questions for you." She said, releasing him.

"I'm sure you do." Thomas replied, turning a stern gaze toward the resident Kim.

Tommy growled menacingly by his wife's side, arms still firmly locked around her, scowl directed dangerously at his older alternate as if daring him to rip his wife away. The young Tommy didn't miss his alternate's reaction, neither did the other Tommy present. Both glanced curiously between the two, noting their alternate's defiant, deadly look and K's emotionless acknowledgement .

"I believe it's time I took this one home." Thomas said in his detached, deadpan voice. The meaning was clear to Kim; he would take the young alternates back and then return for her…it was time. She nodded once, very slowly, and with the ringing sound of zacadas, the young alternates disappeared.

"I guess that's our cue to go home as well." The remaining alternate of Tommy said uncertainly, moving forward and wrapping a protective arm around his Kim's waist. She smiled at him, detaching the arm, but keeping her hand firmly in his as she approached K.

"You don't trust him, do you?" She asked.

"Thomas?" Kim asked in return, although she really didn't have to. Her alternate nodded and she continued, "More than most."

It was an honest answer, but not one that the alternate was expecting. Her eyes narrowed a bit, trying to read between any lines or glean more out of the answer K was willing to give her.

"Thomas works for the good of the universe." Kim clarified. "His not a bad creature, just as singularly devoted to his cause as either of our two Tommy's would be."

"Yet your Tommy looked ready to kill him." The alternate pressed. "And your Jason seems equally venomous."

"They have their reasons." Kim answered sadly. "Trust your heart Kimberly." She urged, eyes nearly pleading with her twin to understand and be careful. No one knew yet that she was changed, but that would end as soon as she returned to her own dimension and her altered signatures were noticed. "Trust you heart and nothing else. You've been well trained. You're far more ready than I was…I was barely eighteen."

The alternate watched as K's eyes misted slightly, watched the sad expression seep through a steeled face. She was scared, the alternate realized, although why she wasn't sure, but one thing was certain, there was more going on than they'd been privy to.

"Time to go." Kim said gently and the alternates nodded. They were ready to go home and back to their own lives and destinies. In a flash of red light, Kim's Phaedosian staff appeared and in another, larger burst of energy, their Billy appeared and the portal to their home dimension opened.

"Thank you." Tommy said earnestly, arms encircling his wife from behind. "Your help in saving our world will never be forgotten."

"Don't worry." His alternate said as his group began to file through the portal. "I fully intend on calling in the favor if our world needs it."

"We'll be there for you." The resident Jason assured and the alternate Tommy nodded in acknowledgement as he himself passed through the portal walls.

As the portal closed, the home team seemed to simultaneously exhale. Turning, they faced each other uncertainly.

"I should give you this." Kat said quietly, walking up to Kim and handing over the Zeo crystal and morpher. "It was good to jump into action again, but it's even better to hand it back to you and know I'm happy to be out of it."

"Oh…" Kim answered uncertainly, not quite sure what to say. "I…I…"

"You don't have to say anything Kimberly." Kat answered. "I was probably the only one relieved when Zordon transferred our Turbo powers to TJ's team…I know now that wasn't a mistake. I'm happy I had the chance to go back and realize once and for all that I'll always be a Ranger, even if I'm very happy not to be a morphing Ranger."

Kim wasn't sure what to say, so she simply nodded and the two shuffled uncomfortably for a few seconds before Kat took Chris's hand and began to back away.

"I should be going now." Kat said with a little smile. " Aisha looks like she needs someone to look at that arm and the families are probably wondering what happened to us." She glanced at Aisha, who nodded, and the two transported out.

Kim looked uncertainly down at the Zeo crystal and morpher before looking up and giving Tommy an equally uncertain look. Gently, she detached herself from his arms and walked over to Carri and Karone; not quite able to look them in the eye.

"I can't take this with me." She whispered, handing them over to Karone, voice not quite strong enough for sound. The gesture of what she was really doing wasn't lost on the blond woman.

"Primus won't let them take you." She said decisively, eyes hardening.

"Primus isn't going to stop it Karone." Kim returned quietly, eyes lifting and holding the other woman's firmly. "He can't break the laws any more than I can."

"He can bend them." Carri muttered, "We already know that." She insisted; although what she was referring to was obviously between the three girls and something the others weren't privy too. Kim turned and met her friend's eyes, but said nothing. There was nothing that could be said.

"I can't take this either." She answered after a moment, handing Carri her third of the Triad crystal.

"You'll need it." She muttered, looking away and crossing her arms.

"You'll need it more." Kim answered, turning and handing the gem to Karone, who took it in more of an automated gesture than from really wanting to. As Kim stepped away, she seemed surprised to be holding it; staring at it as if it were some sort of alien object that had appeared from nowhere.

Stepping the two paces she needed to, Kim leaned closely to Carri's ear and whispered, "I need you to take care of my family."

"It's not gonna come to that." Carri spat angrily, but her eyes were misting despite the defiant look they shot.

"Carri…you already know Jase and Tommy aren't gonna take this well…I need you to…"

"I'm not gonna promise what's not gonna be necessary." Carri returned determinedly, turning her head and flattening her lips.

"Fine." Kim said quietly, turning back to Tommy. She didn't know how long she had before Thomas returned, it could be seconds or minutes, she wouldn't spend it arguing. She already knew Carri would take over and make sure the two boys were alright. As for her other family, she supposed Carri would look out for them too; at least as much as she did her own.

She realized then how scared she was. Her heart was pounding and her forehead had dampened with sweat. She felt slightly sick to her stomach too. She wasn't sure if she had reached out for Tommy or whether he had reached out for her, but she buried her head against him and clung to him with all her might. The Ranger in her fussed that she really needed to get a hold of herself, but the reality of what was to come seemed impossibly overwhelming. She didn't want to go.

Pulling back a bit and sniffing hard, she steadied herself and looked up at her husband. "I need you not to be angry." She said, doing her absolute best not to let tears overflow her eyes. "I chose this. I knew what I was doing. Nobody forced me."

"Don't…" Tommy answered, shaking his head roughly.

"You already know everything else I had to say." She continued, balling the sides of his shirt tightly up in her fists as if clinging to him. "I need you to promise me what you wouldn't before." She said seriously, voice cracking a little, but eyes determined. "I want you to go on, find someone…"

"No." He answered back firmly.

"I need to know you're ok." She nearly growled, frustrated and scared that she was out of time and not having the patience to deal with his stubborn side. "I need to know you're going to try and be happy. I want you to be happy."

"I'm coming with you." He said firmly. He'd already decided. He'd lost her once, almost lost her twice, he wasn't going to let her slip away again. Whatever it was she had to face, they'd face it together; whether she wanted it or not.

"You can't." She answered back, almost angrily. "You won't survive."

"Then we'll go join Zordon and the others together." He responded, jaw set and eyes firm. "Damnit Kimberly," He growled. "Don't fight me on this. I'm coming with you, end of discussion."

Kim couldn't fight him. Whether she had lost the will to fight him or whether she was just scared, she didn't know. She didn't answer, just thrust herself against his chest and clung to him with all her might. His arms closed tightly around her, holding her just as desperately. It was too much, she managed one deep breath then began sobbing hysterically.

At that moment, the atmosphere seemed to rebel against its harsh treatment. It began to rain. Slowly at first, but with huge wet drops that fell to the ground with enormous, soaking splats. Before anyone had time to respond, the skies opened in genuine protest and water gushed forth, washing away the charred and broken earth below. Tommy ignored it. As the others scrambled and urged them to do the same, he simply held on to his wife; cradling and reassuring her that nothing would part them.

* * *

"So…" Zedd exhaled as they watched the retreating fleet of Rangers leave the moon's orbit in pursuit of Teeg. "I believe, as they say, that is that."

He turned and faced Rita, who was sitting upon the steps of dais, one hand propped on a thick stockinged knee, chin resting on her hand. The palace was completely dark; completely empty. There was no power, nothing stirred. For the first time, the place seemed ancient to him; like a giant hollow tomb left to rot.

Teeg hadn't just retreated with her hide. She may have left her ship to the destruction of the Triads, but she had swept in and taken every piece of technology she could find from the Lunar Palace. Then left, complete with any minions that wished to follow her; which was basically everyone.

"What do we do now Zeddie?" She answered him. The room was echoingly quiet and the sound of her voice, although spoken softly, reverberated against the stone walls.

Neither of them had their staffs anymore, but that didn't mean they were powerless. He had taken as many precautions as he could against Teeg reneging on her bargain and leaving him high and dry… precautions, it seemed, he'd been correct in emplamenting. He was fairly certain the witch had been equally surreptitious in developing and storing extra powers as well.

"I do not believe science and technology holds the same lure as it did before." Zedd growled, turning back to the view of the rising Earth below; the only source of light now in the entire palace.

"I didn't think you'd remembered." Rita called back, grinning a little to think of their old days as human scientists on the moon.

"Of course I remember witch." He retorted, not looking back. "Why the hell do you think I get so annoyed with you? I know damn well you're a thousand times more intelligent than you let on."

"Well then…" She smirked, rising up and sauntering next to him. "If neither of us are inclined to go back to our more respectable, goodie-goodie days…"

"Build from here?" He asked, turning slightly to glance at her. In response, she cocked one eyebrow back at him as if asking why not. "I think perhaps we have the beginnings of an understanding." He murmured.

* * *

Chris found his fiancé in the infirmary caring for at least half a dozen more injured people than the place had beds for. He slipped in past the guards only after Ashley had waved him through with a frustrated roll of her eyes.

"You ok?" He asked, coming along side her as she closed and locked a panel over one of her friends from the reunion. Carri's ex boyfriend, he recognized with a start. Taking a closer look, it was obvious the man was in intense pain, but his jaw was set in a firm line as if he fully intended 

to bear through it without acknowledging it. "I really need to talk to you Kat." He added, still watching as the man on the table grimaced yet submitted to the computer's scan.

"I'm really busy right now." She answered distractedly, not looking up from the computer's readout and fiddling with the controls a bit. There was a distinct hissing noise and the man relaxed exponentially.

"I need to talk to you right now." He insisted, placing a firm hand on her arm.

With an audible sigh, she called over a young girl, gave her instructions regarding the man on the table, and turned to march out of the infirmary; leaving him no option but to follow. She continued on a little further past the guards until she reached the entrance to a deserted corridor.

"I hear you kept yourself pretty busy while I was gone." She stated in an irritated tone. She was tired, hungry, and sore. The last thing she wanted or needed was a to argue with him, but if he was going to drag her away from work, she might as well get in the first punch.

"I was really scared Kat." He responded defensively and she nodded as if she understood but still wasn't about to take any grief from him. "Look, all this is really new to me. I just wanted to know you were ok. If anything had happened to you…"

"I would have died saving this world." She said flatly. "That was an oath I took a long time ago Chris."

"I know." He responded, surprising her. "Look," He began in a softer tone, "I know I didn't respond well to all this. I don't like change…I don't handle changes very well." He admitted, giving her an earnest look. "I just want you to know how scared I was. I didn't get a chance to tell you how much I love you and I was terrified you'd get yourself killed… and we'd argued and…"

"It's fine Chris." She said in a softer tone, reaching out touch his arm. "I knew. I didn't like charging off when we'd fought either, but I had a job to do…I was needed. I had to go."

Chris nodded and took her hand in his, raising it to his lips and kissing her fingers softly. Moving forward a step, he gently but firmly reached his other hand out and pulled her closer to him. "I am…so incredibly proud of you." He said softly, leaning his head in and kissing her gently on the cheek. "You were awesome out there you know that?" He said earnestly.

Kat's eyes lifted to meet his and she blushed softly at the unexpected praise. "I'm just glad it's over." She answered.

"No more spandex?" He asked playfully, leaning in to kiss he nose.

Kat shook her head slowly from side to side, eyes still locked with his. "Not unless you want me to." She answered teasingly. Lifting her arms up around his neck, she lifted her lips to his.

"We'll talk about it." He replied mischievously, lowering his head and claiming a far deeper kiss; one that told her exactly how much he loved her and was glad she'd come home safely.

* * *

Malek didn't see either of them as they backed into the shadows. He was hell bent on getting a bleeding Cassie into the infirmary. He'd taken her to the Command Center first, which had the more advanced beds, but they were full to capacity, so he'd simply turned around and fled into the main compound.

"What happened?" Ashley asked, concerned for her friend as the two burst through the doors.

"Her zord detached and crashed." Malek answered, obviously distraught. He headed for the first bed, which had Jason securely attached to it, then bypasses it in search of another who's occupant could be booted. "Damn thing crumpled." He muttered angerly.

"Malek I'm fine." Cassie groaned, but no one seemed to want to listen to her. "Just take me back to my room so I can sleep." She mumbled.

"You are not going to your room and you are absolutely not going to sleep on me little girl." He snarled, panic all but consuming him as the blood coming from her nose and mouth seemed to flow heavier.

"Over here." Ronnie said as she helped to lift her injured team mate off the bed. "Sorry Rose, I think she takes precedent over your foot." She muttered, helping her friend find her balance and then hobble over to a seat in a chair someone else vacated close by.

Without even glancing at the girls, Malek charged forward and laid Cassie down on the bed where Ashley and a newly returned Kat Manx lowered the computer diagnostic arm over her.

"Oh my God Cassie…" Ashley fretted, taking her hand and nearly panicking herself as she saw the blood draining from her friend's mouth. "I should have been out there. I'm so sorry."

"She'll be fine." Manx pronounced, jerking her head at two Rangers in a silent order to catch Malek if he collapsed. To his credit, the old Ranger stood stoically of his own accord, dividing his attention between reading through the computer's diagnostics and starring at the girl's face as if willing her to make an instant recovery.

"She's got a slight concussion and internal injuries…blunt force trauma to the liver and spleen…" Manx muttered as she typed in commands that would allow the computer to continue diagnosing while simultaniously treating her. "Broken femur…broken carpals and metacarpals…She'll be fine." She repeated firmly, this time catching Malek's eyes and speaking directly into them. "Nothing that can't be easily fixed." She stressed.

The man seemed to wilt, then caught himself. Holding Manx's eyes, he nodded slowly once in confirmation that he'd heard, his relief evident in his heavy breathing and lowered shoulders, then simply returned his gaze to the girl.

"I'm never letting her out of my sight again." He said firmly.

"You're injured too." Manx commented, noticing the bruising down one side of his face that continued down his neck and below his uniform collar. His heavy breathing was also slightly more labored than it should have been and she doubted all the blood on his Ranger uniform was from the girl.

"I'll be fine." He responded. "Just make sure she's fine too." He said firmly. Manx smiled at him in understanding and backed away, leaving them, but also indicating to Ashley that should pick up a hand held scanner and check him out. Rangers could be so stubborn sometimes…

* * *

Malek wasn't the only one to burst through the infirmary door in a panic. Emily followed him only a few short minutes later, having heard that Jason had bypassed the med-beds in the Command Center when he saw the line waiting for them. She nearly burst into tears when she saw him, obviously in pain and even more obviously heavily sedated.

"Hey baby doll…" He slurred, recognizing her blurry form as she double and then triple checked Manx's programmed treatment. It was silly really. Dr. Manx had far more experience with using the beds than she did, but she wasn't taking any chances. He had broken just about every rib in his body and had suffered the same blunt force trauma so many of the others had, but he'd be fine.

"I lost a tooth…" He grinned, as if that was a shining accomplishment. "You think if I put it under my pillow a pretty blond fairy will visit me tonight?" He leered.

"I think you need to stay right where you are Jason Scott." She spat back in an admonishing tone, then mortified herself by bursting out into tears. "So help me…" She sobbed, "If you ever put me through this again…"

"Pretty blond fairies…" Jason mused, heavily under the influence of whatever pain killed Manx had used to keep him on the bed until his treatment was done.

Despite her angst, she grinned at him. Looking around to see if anyone had heard, she wiped her eyes and pulled up a nearby chair to sit down. Everything was under control in the main Command Center and it looked as if the injuries coming into the infirmary had either settled down for now or someone had diverted the wounded to one of the other hospitals being set up. She had waited all day to see him safely home, she could spare a few minutes to sit with him now.

"Pretty fairies…" He whispered again, then began to snore loudly.

* * *

Tommy barely noticed as the light began to illuminate the front porch of the old house. How the old rickety monolith had withstood Teeg's onslaught, he wasn't sure, but he figured it most likely had something to do with the close proximity of the old grid.

For nearly twelve hundred yards, stretching out in a macabre circle around the old grid, it was like nothing had changed. The grass was brown, but still billowed in the light wind, a few windows had lost their glass, a few shutters had blown away, but other than that, the house itself was practically untouched.



He wasn't sure what time he'd transported himself out. He vaguely remembered sitting down on the old boards of the front porch; it had still been pitch black outside. Without the illumination of the city below, it had been a deep and encompassing blackness and that was exactly what he'd been looking for.

Kimberly was gone. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He had meant to stay awake, meant to insist on going with her, yet the events of the past few days had eventually caught up with him and he'd drifted off with his arms still wrapped tightly around her; waking up alone some unknown time later.

Now he sat, red eyed and numb, on the old wood planks of the porch, watching with half focused eyes as the view of Angel Grove Lake was slowly illuminated by the sun rising up behind the old house. He felt nothing. No grief, no anger, no curiosity at the burnt and debris ridden hillside below. Nothing; just and all encompassing lack of sensation. Even the mental connection that had assured him that she was alive the last time was empty; simply blank and hollow.

Eventually, sometime during the night, the heavy rains had stopped, but he didn't know when; didn't really care. Now, as the sky grew brighter and impossibly, heartbreakingly blue and cheery, he spied movement beyond the corner of the porch. He still didn't move, just stared straight ahead, ignoring the first tingling sensations of cold dampness the windblown rain had left on his clothing. As Jason's familiar form turned the corner, he barely blinked; simply sat there, reclined against the front door, and stared straight ahead.

"You look like hell." Jason grumbled and, when he didn't get a response, sighed and sat heavily on the top step. He didn't bother to ask if Kim was gone, he already knew. She'd come to see him just before taking off with Thomas. He knew that Thomas had agreed to let her stay until Tommy fell asleep, which was probably the wisest action on both their parts. He also knew that she wasn't holding out much hope that Primus would leave his lair or that the moderators would take into consideration she was technically his Ranger now. It had been a horrible goodbye; taking all his willpower not to attack Thomas and pummel him into oblivion.

"It's not easy for me either you know." He muttered in the stony silence. He had lost his one of his girls and the only one who knew all sides of him upside-down and sideways. Technically, he wasn't the only Muirantian being now left in the universe, but it still felt that way. He had a very long and lonely life ahead of him.

"Oh, by the way." He added, "Billy finally had time to run Rocky's paternity test." He paused to see if that would get any reaction from his friend and grimaced when Tommy simply stared blankly past him. "Turns out he's not the dad either. I don't think I've ever seen anyone more relieved. He practically wilted at the news." Jason rambled. "Of course, Carri's ecstatic. She's talking about marrying him now." Jason added, glancing sideways to see if anything he'd said got a reaction; it hadn't. "Jessica named the kid Darcy. Jesus Christ, can you imagine? Darcy DeSantos…the boy'd have to grow up a fucking hockey player to survive a name like that."

Jason turned his head and regarded his friend. Hell wasn't the word to describe him. He looked gaunt and pale and utterly defeated. It was so contradictory of his usual characteristic energy and authority that he began to feel a little of the concern the others had voiced.

Part of him felt a return of the extreme bitterness he'd felt when Kemora had first appeared on their Earth and left Kim dying behind her. He didn't get how a man who'd only come to love Kimberly again a few short weeks before could lay claim to such devastation. He had known and loved and literally died once for her for over fifteen years non-stop. He just couldn't understand how a relationship which, even when you combined both rounds, only equaled out to a few short months could possibly compare to fifteen solid years of friendship, but he said nothing. Merely sat with him in silent mutual grief and commiseration.

"Billy wants me to make sure you didn't take any weapons out here with you." He muttered after a while. That, at least, got Tommy to turn his head and earned him a cold, scathing look; which was better than the blank stare, he thought to himself. "Apparently there's some weird electromagnetic interference up here." Jason rambled on casually. "He can't get a good scan of you."

Tommy's response was to simply turn his head slowly back towards the view of Angel Lake and the mountains beyond. It looked almost like it had when he and Kimberly had traveled into the past. Shriveled and small without it's manmade dyke. There were no houses lining it, no high rises, just the tiny lakebed and the brown mountains beyond.

"Yeah…" Jason continued in the same tone. "I pretty much had the same response. I told him that was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard him say, but I think Trini and Carri put the bug in his ear you might do something idiotic like try and…well, you know."

"I'm going to kill him, not myself." Tommy said in a very slow, deadly voice; earning a surprised look from his friend.

"What?" Jason asked, surprised by the response and not sure he believed what he heard.

"If Thomas could find a way to hunt Kemora, I can find a way to hunt him." Tommy responded in the same bitter, detached voice that was so characteristic of his alternate. He turned a pair of eyes to Jason that were so cold, so deadly, that a chill rushed down his spine. Looking at him more closely, he suddenly realized that the same anger and loss that that had created Thomas was now consuming his friend and that insight didn't sit well with him at all. He wondered if Thomas and his precious continuum knew what they were creating by ripping Kim away like they had.



"Can't say I blame you there." Jason admitted, still a bit surprised and disturbed by the statement. "I've thought about that too." He admitted. "Thought about it a lot actually, but wouldn't that make you just like him? Turn you into him?"

"He killed her." Was the vacant response as his friend's eyes once again returned to the panorama below.

"Set her up to take the fall for him anyway." Jason agreed, not sure whether to be disturbed or volunteer to help. Both of them were angry, both hurting, but his gut told him that Kim would disapprove. She had been very definitive about telling him that she had made the choices that led to her arrest by the moderators, not Thomas, and that he was not to hold a grudge. Now wasn't the time to argue though. Anger was a good thing at this point, it meant Tommy still had his will to live. It just needed to be worked through so that the anger didn't become all consuming; so that he could keep Tommy from becoming Thomas.

Jason opened his mouth to say something then stopped as his friend's head suddenly jerked, his back stiffening, and body suddenly alert. "What is it?" He asked, frowning. Switching instantly and unconsciously to Muirantian vision, he scanned the surrounding hillside. There was nothing; not even the wildlife had returned.

"Zacadas." Tommy said quietly, his whole focus off to one side of the porch.

"I didn't hear…" Jason began, but in a flash, his friend bolted upright and flew down the steps. It was so unexpected, it jolted him. He had never seen anyone go from absolute indolence to complete animation that quickly. In less than a blink, Tommy had literally flown off the porch and was charging through the grass toward the old home site. For an instant, all Jason could do was watch, then he himself heard the eerie buzzing noise that signaled Thomas had entered their dimension. Dread consumed him. Dread that Thomas was returning with Kim's remains and he'd soon have to face the reality he'd been ignoring; dread that his friend was about to attack his far more powerful alternate.

* * *

Tommy ran like a bat out of hell toward the pit of the old home site. His intention had been to barrel into Thomas, knock him down and physically beat as much out of the life out of his alternate as he could before Thomas either fled or turned around and killed him, but one look at the lifeless form the other man carried and he skidded to a halt, the fight in him wilting to nothing. Thomas turned, surprised to see him, and as he did so, Tommy got a better look at her. She was pale as a ghost, literally crumpled into Thomas's arms, head lolling back motionlessly to one side, lips and eyes lined a soft grey-blue; the sight destroyed him.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't move. It was as if the world around him suddenly ceased to exist; the only sound was the air rushing through his eardrums and the pounding of his heart against his chest. She looked so incredibly small, almost childlike, so inconceivably fragile, so completely devoid of the animation that characterized her. His eyes remained riveted to her motionless face as he skidded to a halt. His legs lost all rigidity, crumpling beneath him, knees pounding into the hard ground below, and head slowly, of its own accord, moving from side to side in denial of the sight before him.

Thomas stared at his younger alternate for several long seconds, surprised to see him, although very little surprised him anymore. It had been a long, hard, exhausting ordeal that had literally left him with an aching soul. Perhaps it was better that the boy was here; it would make it easier. He hadn't wanted to simply leave her for someone to find, although that had been his explicit order. Turning, he walked toward him just as the boy's knees crumpled and he sank to the ground. He remembered that feeling all too well, but at least this alternate would get his happy ending.

"She survived." He said simply, watching as the boy's eyes turned from utter despair to incredulous hope. "In the end, Primus forbade them from destroying her. None were willing to cross someone so close to what they'd call an almighty Venerated Ancestor." He spat bitterly, voice betraying more emotion than Tommy had ever heard. "But they've done all but."

It had been a horrible ordeal and Thomas closed his eyes against the memory, still not entirely sure how she'd survived it; except, perhaps he knew she'd wanted to. No one had batted an eye over Netau, it barely came up. They wanted her to confess that she had been helping him transplant alternates and thereby alter the fates of dimensions; including her own.

She hadn't betrayed them. None of them. She'd never disclosed one case of transplantation. Even when they assured her they'd stop everything and allow her to return home if she'd give them just one single affidavit, she'd remained silent. It was a loyalty uncharacteristic of humans and one that no one, not even he himself deserved. He wondered now if Primus knew what he had in the girl.

After torturing her had proved ineffective, they'd put her in stases; cruelly freezing her, then warming her up if she began to lose consciousness. This process continued over and over again for what seemed like eons while they debated her fate.

If he had been bitter before her so-called trial, he was more convinced than ever that the moderators and the guardians in general had degenerated over the last ten thousand years into little better than a corrupted bureaucracy; more focused on its own jockeying for power than in any realignment of the Supreme Balance. Primus was right, if the primary timeline was to be saved, it would have to be accomplished outside the alliance.

Slowly, gently, he knelt down to the ground and transferred the limp form of his associate to her husband. She wasn't just his associate, he admitted to himself, she was his friend. He had allowed himself to care for her; if only just a little. He, who had been friendless for centuries, had allowed this one little alternate of his dead wife to touch his soul as none of the others had. She was the child he had lost and it had nearly broken him to watch the revenge his enemies had taken on her; all in the name of the same objective he'd devoted his entire existence to. They had taught him a lesson as well as her, he realized…one he would never forget.

"She's been gone a long time." Thomas continued in a tone more like himself, cold and detached. Only the hand he lay against her forehead, brushing the hair from her closed eyes, in any way betrayed he harbored any sentiment for the girl. "I cut the time arc as closely as I dared, but the decades spent outside of time have taken their toll. It will take her a while to wake up and adapt back to this time zone, longer to recover from what she's been through, but she'll live."

"What the hell did you do to her?" Tommy growled, arms shifting and tightening their hold on her thin form. She weighed almost nothing; her body limp and lifeless. As one arm cradled her against his chest the other reached up, hand cradling her face before searching for a pulse at her neck; sobbing in relief when a thin, tiny rhythm met his shaking fingers. Desperately, he reached out with his mind to the link he knew they shared, the link he'd always avoided cultivating because it was just too close, too personal. After a little searching, he found a fragile, thin little glimmer of life. It didn't reach out to him, but it was there and every muscle in him released its tension in relief.

"You got her back." Thomas said blandly, standing up. "That's more than most of us got."

"What the…?" Jason exclaimed as he caught up with them. Tommy was on the ground cradling Kimberly's wilted body and the monster Thomas was just standing there looking like he had better things to do.

"It's time for me to go." Thomas said simply, turning and walking away.

"You son of a bitch!" Jason howled behind him, but the last word was drowned out by the buzzing zacada noise. Thomas was already gone.

"She's alive." Tommy breathed, voice shaking as much as the tremors wracking his body. He held her close, head bent down next to hers, and rocked her back and forth.

"What?" Jason breathed in disbelief. He hadn't expected it; she certainly didn't look it. It wasn't the outcome they'd anticipated. "I…I don't feel her." He said softly, bending down and touching her hair gently. Tommy didn't noticed, simply continued to hold onto her for dear life; rocking her back and forth.

He shifted to his Muirantian vision, scanning her heat signatures from top to bottom. She was barely breathing, but her body showed signs of an active connection to the pit; if just not to the point where he could actually sense it yet. It bothered him that he couldn't sense it, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. Exhaling in relief, he allowed himself to collapse down on the ground next to his friend.

The thought occurred to him then that they'd done it. Teeg had been sent packing, Kemora had at least vanished for a while, the world was waking up to a tower free dawn, and all of them had pulled through. There were only two failures, if you could call them that, in the entire operation.

Time Force had yet to complete their mission. They had succeeded in realigning the wave, but the original timeline had yet to be restored…and they were effectively stuck in the twenty-first century until that happened. Kemora was also still on the loose and he had no doubt she would show up again eventually. The young alternate of Tommy had once again destroyed her mortal shell, making him the only being in the universe to have killed the demon twice, but her spirit had easily escaped him. He had reassured the boy he'd done the best that could be done under the circumstances, but that still left him with a very real and very difficult problem. She was weakened, but far from beaten.

But the war itself was over and they'd all managed survived another round. One look at Kim's pale blue and lifeless form however, and he held his thoughts in check. No need to tempt fate just yet. They may have survived, but the price of battle had increased exponentially with age.

They were all older now, battle scarred and weary. Perhaps Billy was right and it was time to pass the torch to a new generation. The quiet life seemed awful good to him right now. They had a world to rebuild and he actually had a woman in his life to rebuild it with. Now all he had to do was make sure his girls were ok.

"We should really get her back to the Command Center." He advised his friend gently, laying a firm hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezing it hard. Whether he was heard or not, he couldn't tell. "Come on Tommy," He said gruffly, fatigue and the emotions of the last twenty four hours clouding his voice. "Let's get her home Bro." He pressed, shaking the other man's shoulder until he got a reaction from him.

Tommy nodded and slowly, unsteadily, as if all his strength had suddenly left him, stood up, still cradling the lifeless body of his wife in his arms.

"It's alright Beautiful." He crooned to her unresponsive form, voice breathy and shaking, head arched down to press against her forehead. "I've got you."


	24. EPILOG

**Power Rangers: The Coins Series**

Epilog

* * *

All things Power Rangers belong to Saban and Disney. All things Carri belong to KJ, with many thanks. Demonking belongs solely to Daniel White and Teeg and Rexo belong to KS & me.

_**The Coin Series take place in an alternate dimension**_

* * *

February fourteenth, Kimberly's twenty-ninth official Birthday, dawned cold and windy at the Angel Grove Pines Ski Resort. She was asleep again. At least, Tommy thought she was asleep. She was curled into his lap, head tucked between his shoulder and neck, and hadn't moved in the better part of half an hour. He still fretted over her, he couldn't help it, but life went on.

For the present, he contented himself with the fact that she was with him and he was holding her, but he also couldn't ignore the massive amounts of work that threatened to smother him, so he held her with one hand and arm while sifting through his data with the other. Upon Teeg's departure, the world had enjoyed one unprecedented week of unity and brotherhood, a week where all had come together and united both in celebration and in mourning, a week where all had resolved to come together and build a new world, a new age of humanity, and then all hell had broken loose again.

The Arab nations now claimed the disaster a plot by Israel, many Asian nations and Eastern Europe pointed their fingers at the United States, and most of Europe and South America were pointing their fingers at each other. Within another week, the world was right back where it had been before the appearance of the towers. It seemed the only thing the world leaders could agree upon was a united interest in the Power Rangers and what their Intergalactic Community could do for them.

His laptop carefully balanced on the arm of the large overstuffed chair, he scanned through disk after disk of data, trying to put some order to the chaos. The world was ready for his city now, but he still had to make it happen and that meant an overloaded work schedule in addition to and outside of his duty as official head of the Power Rangers on a nearly destroyed planet…one that owed the Kaoans an astronomical fortune for the colony on KO-35.

The number of dead was staggering; over three-hundred and fifty million worldwide, with an almost equal number still missing. Taking into consideration a global population of just over six and a half billion, those numbers weren't so bad, only about half a percent, but to the Ranger in Tommy, it was devastating. The normal death rate per year was only about fifty-eight million and they had lost six times that; possibly even as much as ten or twelve by the time the data was finalized. It was unacceptable and it made their victory over Teeg and her forces bittersweet for him. A large part of him felt he had failed his world and guilt and frustration plagued him during the rare quiet times he had to think about it.

The only consolation, however slim, came from Billy's pronouncement that of far greater concern to him was the projected baby boom. Birth rates often escalated after times of war or disaster and the data coming in nearly twelve weeks after Teeg's retreat was startling.

The number of worldwide births estimated in the coming month of September alone was calculated at almost ninety-seven million; seventy-five percent of the average yearly planetary birth rate in just one month alone. Billy found this far more devastating than the death rate and warned that the actual world population explosion could more than double his projections as he was only estimating the numbers for the four weeks in September; none of the data had yet been expanded to include the six to nine months following that banner month.

Although he understood his friend's concerns, that such a dramatic jump in the birth rate could have dramatic effects both socioeconomically and environmentally on the planet, he, like Jason, had found the news personally amusing; until Billy soberly warned that all of those mothers to be had been exposed to astronomical amounts of morphanological energies during the last battle; energies that still lingered on weeks after the battle had ended. They wouldn't know for years the effects or mutations the coming generation would endure. The entire dynamic of humans on the planet Earth had suddenly shifted.

Kim changed her position in his lap and his arm reflexively closed around her a little tighter. Closing his laptop, his used a free hand to place it on a side table stacked with reports. As he did so, he noted the contrast between the howling snowstorm outside the large picture window and the cheery fire in the huge fireplace on the other side of his wife. His life seemed to be one continuous contrast these days. Ups and downs, highs and lows, nothing stable for very long.

Under pressure for help by world leaders, he'd grudgingly allowed Hayley's new constant shadow, Clark Fairweather, to keep his new weather stabilizing device in place until things calmed down. The machine, he insisted, would be used to help keep global weather patterns ideal for a few weeks; just until the populations found shelter. During that time. It would also be used to help repair the damage to the Earth's atmosphere by the towers. It wasn't supposed to be a permanent solution, but Tommy still hadn't liked it; the planet had been messed with enough. It had been needed though and even he had to grudgingly admit that it had been a great success.

Slowly, the temperatures around the globe began to rebound and, with a little help from a team led by Billy and a whole lot of Aquitian technology, the polar caps had begun to regenerate at an accelerated speed and the holes in the ozone repaired. If they left the planet in a little better condition than before, Billy theorized, it was to the Earth's benefit and Tommy had been too tired to argue.

It had been a difficult and unpopular decision to give the order to turn the drones off. As long as they'd been in use, those in the tent cities awaiting the rebuilding of the infrastructure enjoyed mild and easy weather, but the time for the Rangers to interfere in Earth's climate was at an end. It was time to stop artificially controlling things and allow nature to take its course. At Angel Grove Pines, that meant that the temperatures had plummeted overnight from a spring like warmth to a frigid gale, but all welcomed it; even if it meant layering clothes and huddling together under blankets for warmth.

They had moved to the lodge itself shortly after the new year, when Carri's dad had taken it upon himself to move as many of his own relations and a few of the other families out of the NASADA compound and into a less packed environment. The lodge itself was damaged, but not uninhabitable and the owners were desperate to accommodate wealthy guests desiring more in their refuge than the public shelters could provide. Food and water were still rationed, cooling and heating limited, but it was relatively private and the communications links were working.

At first, Tommy had resisted. He had wanted to be close to the Command Center as the world began to put itself back together again, but under the overwhelming stress as the head of the Rangers on Earth and the demands of caring for a very ill spouse, he had caved. At least Kim's mother could help more easily with her care, which had been difficult at best while they were quartered in back of the Command Center, and those few precious free hours a day to get work done had been priceless.

Tommy closed his eyes firmly at the memory of his wife's recovery, leaning his head down so that his cheek rested against her soft, sweet smelling hair. The ordeal had aged him tremendously.

He and Jason had brought her to the Command Center where they'd received the devastating news of her condition. Thomas was right, because of her Muirantian powers, she would live, but they had no idea if she'd ever recover. Her injuries were massive and there wasn't a single system in her body that didn't show the strain of trauma. It was unfathomable what they'd done to her; inhuman. Billy's hands had shaken as he did scan after scan, only to meet his eyes mournfully and tell him there simply wasn't enough of her poorly functioning brain left for her to ever recover; there was no way she'd ever wake up again.

She was alive, but completely vegetative. The news had crushed him. He had been handed back the love of his life, but only her body, nothing more. Devastated, he'd slowly gone through the motions of deciding what had to be done next; whether to let the computer take control or to let her go. In the end, he simply couldn't let her die and gave Billy the order to allow the computer to take care of her. All that day and night, he'd kept a numb vigil by her side; simply staring at her for nearly twenty-four hours straight and refusing anyone's attempts to let him leave and rest.

But then something strange happened. On a simple, routine scan the next day, Billy noticed her body had accelerated its repair of itself. Kim was growing stronger and as she grew stronger, her cells increased their renewal. Not only was her body repairing itself, her brain, unlike a human brain, was also slowly regenerating. He was still not overly optimistic and had warned him not to be too encouraged, but it was enough for Tommy; it was hope.

It was only then that he could face her mother. Molly understood as well as he did what her daughter's condition meant, but didn't have the knowledge he did about her Muirantian cells. Furious, she had demanded to know his connections to the Power Rangers and if he was the one who had put her daughter in the situation where her type of injuries could have occurred. At that point in time, he had still been numb, still been grieving, he had been awake for more than twenty-four hours and, he regretted later, had confirmed to her his status as a senior Red.

Molly had been livid, blaming him for putting her daughter in unnecessary danger, but, to her credit, had held silent about his occupation when they had gone to tell the rest of her family of Kim's injuries and, more importantly, had continued to keep his secrets from that time onward.

Oddly enough, over the next few weeks his mother in law had proved invaluable, not only with caring for her daughter, but in dealing with the world leaders who were desperate for the Rangers to help them. It seemed that Kim's created persona had worked a little too well. The leaders of the world didn't want to work with Tommy, they wanted Kaycea. It was beyond frustrating and Molly had a genuine knack for soothing ruffled feathers; both with the world leaders and the leader of the Power Rangers. Although he had been hesitant and done a lot of second guessing over her prescience by Kim's medical bed in the Command Center; he was soon very grateful for it as fatigue set in, his patience waned, and his temper grew shorter.

Having a catatonic spouse was not easy. At first, he was willing to do anything, everything, to somehow bring her back, but as the days passed and merged into weeks, it became harder and harder to stay positive. When Kim was removed from the medical bed and placed in their quarters, the reality of his situation began to hit home. Although she had regular sleeping and waking periods, he was caring for an adult who couldn't function by herself and needed constant assistance twenty-four-seven.

She had to be clothed and bathed, repositioned and exercised. Her hair had to be brushed, and her nails clipped. All the while, she was completely unresponsive; staring expressionlessly ahead of her as if nothing existed.

He missed her terribly and the loneliness of it all had been a different form of grieving. He had developed the habit of talking to her nonstop, the way a parent talks to an infant; knowing she didn't understand, but speaking the words anyway. Unable to leave her for long periods of time when no one was around to watch her, he'd begun holding meetings in their small quarters. Hayley had set up several computers for him and people simply never questioned seeking him out there; at least not directly.

It was well into the fourth week of this kind of care that he snapped. It had been an excruciatingly long day; full of too many monumental, all encompassing, major and minor problems and setbacks to count. He was bone tired and returned back to their small quarters only to face another endless round of chores related to her care.

Grief had given way to anger and he found himself resenting the tasks required, resenting the vacant, hollow stare emitted from the beautiful large eyes that had always held so much vivacity, mischief, and passion for life. He gently brushed her hair, tucked her in, and kissed her forehead, then sat down heavily next to her. Raising her hand, holding it so that her palm covered his face, he broke down and sobbed; pleading with her to wake up and come back to him, grateful that no one was around to see him beg.

He didn't remember going to sleep that night, only waking the next morning to find her in the same position he'd left her in the previous evening and sighing heavily to himself with the realization that the day would be exactly the same as all the others since Thomas had brought her back.

He'd risen and dressed, only to realize that it was far too early for anyone else to be up and around. Grateful for the quiet, he'd sat down to get an jump start on the day's workload, talking to her nonstop as he sorted through papers and computer disks; commenting on this or that, simply voicing the thoughts in his head as he organized his day. He'd ask her questions, then answer them himself; occasionally amending his answer if he thought it wasn't something she'd have actually said to him.

It was after one such comment that he stopped, chuckling to himself that his words weren't anywhere close to what she would have actually told him, and turned around to tell her so. To his astonishment, her head had turned. She was no longer staring sightlessly straight upward toward the ceiling, but directly at him. Her eyes were still unfocused, but more confused than vacant. Heart leaping into his chest and trying not to get too excited in case the pillow had simply shifted, he jumped across the small distance between his desk and the bed and half sobbed, half laughed as her eyes followed his movement.

He leaped up and flew from the room, dragging a protesting and sleep deprived Billy back with him. To his dismay, the blank look in her eyes had returned and his friend gave him the same half sympathetic, half pathetic look everyone seemed to send his way. Fortunately, in his frustration, he dug his fingers through his hair and moved away in a jerky movement; which Kim's eyes tracked. Billy had seen it though and it was enough for him to begin a whole new battery of tests on her which showed that she was, indeed, improving. Returning her to the small bedroom, he had cleared his schedule and spent the entire day simply moving back and forth, just to watch her eyes move, but she did no more than that and for no-one else but him.

After twenty-four hours of this, Carri had had enough. She and Karone barged in just before his mother-in-law was due to watch her for a few hours and kidnapped her. They never said where they were taking her, but Tommy had a good idea it was back to Primus's subdimension on Triforia. They were gone less than half an hour, returning her just as her mother walked in, but girls sought their beds afterward and both slept the day away; indicating to the others that they'd somehow borrowed time and were paying a heavy price for it.

It was another full day after that, as Tommy was brushing her hair and tucking her in for the night, that the world changed. He'd laid the brush on the table, kissed her forehead and murmured how much he loved her, then moved his way through the crammed and overstuffed room to his side of the bed and begun to undress. His back was to her, but he knew she was watching, just a she watched everything he did. It was the twenty-fourth of December, Christmas Eve, when he heard her.

It was soft, barely above a whisper, but when he turned and asked her what she'd said, she repeated, "Are you real?"

He wept again. He couldn't help it, tears of joy as he kissed her face over and over, affirming that he was, indeed, very real. Backing away slightly, he scanned her face hopefully, watching as her eyes focused and her forehead creased in confusion. It wasn't much, but it was movement and that was all he needed. He would never again doubt the Great Power or sniff at the idea of Christmas miracles.

Kim's recovery from that point on was painfully slow, but steady. She rarely spoke and, if she did, it was simple words and phrases and very rarely to anyone but him. The only person that this frustrated more than Carri was her mother, but both tried hard to be patient with her. She never spoke of her ordeal and, when the few times Tommy had pressed her for details resulted in her slipping quickly back into a semi catatonic state again, he'd simply stopped asking her about it.

Moving her limbs had come as slowly as speaking. It was as if the muscles in her body had forgotten how to coordinate with each other and Tommy worked with her until he was past exhaustion helping her synchronize her movements and become mobile again.

It was about this time that Cole found his way back to Angel Grove, bringing the wolf pup, Aku, with him. Although barely a month old, it weighed almost ten pounds and was pronounced by Aisha to have the biggest paws and ears she'd ever seen. Tommy could have cared less, until Kim showed interest in it. Up to that point, she'd shown very little interest in anything besides his activities, but actually giggled as the pup rummaged around on her bed and tried to nurse her fingers.

She had looked so sad and downcast when the visit came to an end that Tommy surprised himself by offering to keep it with them. Cole had hesitated, but it was as if he somehow knew the two were good for one another and abruptly agreed. For days afterward Tommy rued his decision. The pup not only smelled, he added to his already overloaded schedule, but as Kim gained enough coordination to feed it and it kept her happy and entertained during the day, he couldn't really regret it.

After the new year, she'd begun physical therapy sessions the same time Adam was working on his. By then, they had moved to the Angel Grove Pines Lodge and Carri had found a physical therapist more than willing to work with both of them in exchange for food and a place to stay at the former resort.

Though she never spoke about it either before or after, it was clear she hated the painful sessions. When she suddenly threw an uncharacteristic tantrum one day and quit for no other reason than her own frustration, Adam had begun to goad her; often challenging her or bragging that he was getting ahead where learning to walk again was concerned. The teasing worked and drew out her competitive nature, but progress came in spurts and was slow… until Karone and Carri gave her back her Triad crystal. Tommy had been furious but, overnight, the progress was phenomenal and he and her mother had had to scramble to come up with explanations for it when the family inquired; finally mumbling vague references to experimental Ranger technology.

After that, everything became immediately easier for her and he suspected, but never asked, that the girls had been taking off and using borrowed time to help her improve. It scared him to death that she was traveling off world or inter-dimensionally with them, but he couldn't complain with the results. By the end of January, she was physically completely self sufficient, but still frighteningly quiet and reserved. Although she eagerly returned his affections when they were alone at night, she seldom spoke to anyone other than him and the vacant, distant look would occasionally cross her eyes for no apparent reason and completely terrify him.

By the first week of February, she stopped trying to hide from him that she was once again traveling to Triforia, but kept mute about her activities there. Her only mention of it was a slip of the tongue that she had so much more energy when morphed that she almost hated powering down. She had frozen, as if startled the words had crossed her lips, but he hadn't called her on it; simply nodded as if he really wasn't listening and continued his work. He hated the idea, hated he wasn't part of it and that she had been away without telling him, but he held his tongue. She was getting better, that was all that mattered to him.

But in contrast to the energy he knew her clandestine activities had to require, when she was with him, she remained clingy and quiet; sleeping almost constantly. He couldn't complain. He needed to hold her as much as she needed to be held. He was still terrified that he'd wake up and she'd be gone or the catatonic state would have returned. He hated feeling the way he did, but he couldn't help it; he needed her. The relief of having her back with him was unfathomable.

The rowdy noise of excited teens brought him back from his pondering to the present and stirred his sleeping wife; who blinked a bit at the ruckus, then frowned and closed her eyes again. The wolf pup Aku, now all of twelve weeks old, raised his head and growled a puppy-like growl at the wave of intruders, but at Tommy's frown, he lowered his head back down with a whine and waited once again for Kim to sit up so he could go back out and play in the snow again. To the delight of many, it was finally snowing for real and, despite the cold of the unheated lodge, Tommy loved it. It was a chance to forget the chaos of the world and simply play for a while.

He sighed heavily as those thoughts led him to ones of the real world. Billy had paged them early that morning to inform them that, after nearly three months of inactivity, signs of habitation were once again evident in the Lunar Palace. Gone were the hopes that Rita and Zedd had left with Teeg and her armada, but even that couldn't really dampen his spirits. Theirs was the only group of Rangers who had ever defeated Teeg's armies… and they had all survived it. None of them were anxious to get back to action, but he had accepted that the Triads had been called back to work and was almost grateful to know he might be going back himself.

For the meantime, the Rangers in question were content to vegetate on the over-sized furniture before the large fireplace, one of the few sources of heat, in one of the lodge's many gathering rooms and grumble as the teenagers shattered the blissful quiet they'd enjoyed just a few minutes before.

As the group of boisterous teens scrambled past them, dropping their stuff, tossing it around, teasing one another, and in general causing more of a disruption than they really needed to in their excitement over the snow storm outside, Kim stretched and snuggled closer into her husband's shoulder. His feet were propped up on an ottoman and he shifted slightly as she intertwined her legs around his. Dropping the paper he'd picked up off to the side of the chair, he hugged her tightly.

She was being overly needy, she thought to herself, and knew she'd have to stop it sooner or later, but for now she was enjoying the extra attention and he seemed more than willing to coddle her a little. She was feeling more back to normal than she had in a very long time, but the memories of the tribunal and her suspension cell still haunted her dreams each night and she felt the weight of the moderator's verdict more heavily than she'd ever admit to; even to Thomas or Jason or even her husband.

She'd been allowed back, that was all that mattered. She hadn't expected to be allowed back. Even when she'd left Tommy that fateful morning, she'd been positive in her heart that she'd never see him again; but she'd been wrong.

It had taken them more than a decade in Earth's years to reach a verdict; a decade spent between time and dimensions in a semi-suspended state while they debated her fate…conscious, yet paralyzed..paralyzed and tortured. She understood the decision to return her to her world had very little to do with any innocence on her part. If anything, she was guilty as sin of more than one serious crime against the continuum… and all involved knew it. However, she was of value to them. Her return to her own world had come at a huge price, but it was one she'd willingly pay; for now.

She'd have to obey them now; obey them in everything. But it was a restriction she was more than willing to accept if it meant she would be allowed to live with her family and Tommy again. It would only be for a few short decades; a mere drop in the bucket of her expected lifespan. She was determined to make the most of every moment though, to gather a lifetime of memories to keep her warm through the cold years that would come when those she loved grew old and left her behind them… when she'd be alone again, like the suspension cell; but she wouldn't think about that now. She'd been given a second chance and she wouldn't let that chance go to waste. She'd tow the line, she'd birth the children they demanded, raise a family with Tommy, and search for Zordon like Primus wanted.

She wasn't entirely sure it was Zordon himself that they'd find; Primus wasn't even sure of that. However, one thing was certain, someone was manipulating the timelines from within and manipulating them in a way that was distinctly characteristic of her old teacher. She knew enough about timelines and dimensional travel to know that her Zordon, the one she loved so dearly, was gone, but Zordon had been an interdimensional being; capable of existing simultaneously in different dimensions. Perhaps it was a transplant manipulating the timeline, perhaps a student no one knew of, or perhaps, just perhaps, part of his spirit had survived somehow. She simply didn't know; even Primus couldn't say for certain. The evidence the Triads were ferreting out was baffling. Something about Zordon's spirit was returning to the continuum; that was good enough for her.

Carri huffed and rolled her eyes as the teens passed, then rolled her eyes again and gave Rocky a tolerant look as Kim rolled over with a muffled sigh into Tommy. He grinned at her in response and pulled her closer to him on the couch, silently suggesting they cuddle under their blanket as well. She allowed herself to be pulled in, enjoying the relative peace of the moment and absently fingered the small engagement ring he'd given her that morning in honor of Valentine's Day. The large fire was pouring out its heat, the wind and snow howling outside the window, and all seemed relatively back to normal; the quiet life, as Tommy called it.

Adam and Tonya had retreated upstairs to their room after breakfast, away from the growing noise of the common area, and Jason and Emily had also disappeared somewhere into the depths of the lodge. Karone was playing some sort of dice game at a nearby table with her ever present shadow, Zane, and the others who had followed them up the mountain were also milling around at different locations. It was almost as if they hadn't a care in the world; as if Teeg had never come to Earth and they had never had the school reunion interrupted on that hot August evening.

"What do you think would have happened if the reunion hadn't been torn up by Zedd and Rita?" Carri asked lazily, leaning her head back against Rocky's shoulder and intertwining her fingers with his. She couldn't see his face, but she saw Tommy raise a curious eyebrow and lean down to kiss Kim's forehead.

"What'd you mean?" Rocky asked, squeezing her hand and wrapping his arm more tightly around her. The lodge was freezing and she was warm; it was an intoxicating contrast.

"Do you think we'd be together? You and me…Kim and Tommy? All of us?" She asked wistfully. "Do you think we'd just've enjoyed a quick weekend and then gone our separate ways or would we have all managed to come together like we are now?"

"I don't even want to think about it." Kim mumbled, head still buried in Tommy's shoulder.

"She speaks!" Tommy teased and she slapped his chest playfully. "And I thought I was in for another day of grunts and mutterings." He grinned.

"I mean it." Carri said again. "Do you think we'd all be together?"

"I doubt it." Rocky said truthfully, cheek nuzzling the top of her head. "I think we were all going in opposite directions. Leading separate lives." He answered, squeezing her a little tighter in an attempt to block out memories of that weekend. He'd been firmly entrenched in his relationship with Marie and, although both still adamantly denied it was anything but a show, she'd technically been dating Jason; which still drove him crazy sometimes. "That one little event changed everything." He mused.

He didn't want to think about his life without Carri. She was a royal pain in the ass, with a temper to match, but she was his pain in the ass…and he dearly loved her. The thought of losing her was devastating…as was the thought of her running off on Primus's errands… but he held those thoughts silent. If it was him running off to play Ranger and her left behind, he'd want her support; so he tried his best to give her his.

"That's depressing." Carri pouted. "That means I owe Teeg."

"Not necessarily." Kim added, rolling over and facing her. "It means the Great Power directly intervened and readjusted the timeline back. We're where we're supposed to be now."

"And how do you figure that?" Tommy asked, a slightly amused tone finding its way into his voice. She was actively engaging in the conversation and that one little act thrilled him beyond words.

"The Power allowed the timeline to be dramatically shifted. None of us are going in the direction we were before." She explained as if it was so obvious she needn't point it out. "There's no other explanation for it. The timeline shifted and the moderators tried to re-adjust it… twice…both with disastrous results… so in the end they had to allow the shift." She paused a few seconds as if remembering something. "We were all meant to be where we are now, to go back to the point where we could all go forward together."

"If you say so." Rocky added, not really understanding what she was talking about.

"I kinda like that idea." Carri mused, frowning as Karone cursed loudly and Zane laughed outright at her. She was so distracted at the way the two managed to lovingly bicker, even over a silly dice game, that she didn't see the two men approach them from the side, but Rocky had, and he sat them both up a little straighter when he realized the two were going to interrupt them. Kovu had also seen the men and, hackles raising, stood up, but when Tommy's hand came down over his nose he sat down abruptly; still aware, but willing to be quite as long as no one approached Kim.

"Carri Lauren Hillard?" The older of the two asked; eyeing the giant wolf that was still too fluffy with baby fur and blue eyes to be threatening. They were both well past middle aged, both balding, and both dressed in business suits that had no place in a ski lodge turned refuge. Behind them was a third, younger man, holding three, snow covered coats. The six Rangers close by turned as one and sat a little straighter, and Carri noticed Jason re-appear off to the side as well; merging closer to the group.

"You three aren't exactly dressed for a ski lodge." Carri noted waspishly and Kovu yipped as if agreeing with her. She turned and regarded the pup, deciding the look on its oversized head was way too appraising to be canine instead of human.

"Ms. Carri Lauren Hillard?" The man asked patiently.

"Who wants to know?" She responded in a hard tone, turning back around, but the man simply took another step forward and handed her a manila envelope as if he knew full well who she was.

"My name is Milan Stone," He explained. "I represent the law firm of Shistick, Crandall, and…"

"Jesus H. Christ…" Carri spat, jumping up and giving them Rocky's favorite swear phrase. "Are you freakin kidding me? You're a god damn lawyer and you track me down here?" She all but threw the envelope back at him. He at least had the good sense to grab it and take a step back from her temper.

Kovu chose that moment to start yapping and even Tommy's firm hand signal to quiet down couldn't stop him. If Carri was angry, he knew from experience, something was happening that would also possibly distress Kim; and if momma was upset, he was upset. But this time, Kim sat up and hushed him herself, picking him up when he gave her his best contrite look, and settling him on her lap; despite Tommy's groan of protest. Although huge, he was still mostly a baby, all head and oversized paws, and threw his head back with uncontained excitement, play-biting her chin and giving her a few puppy kisses as if grateful for the better view of the action.

"Carri, calm down…" Rocky tried unsuccessfully to soothe her. Attacking the messenger wasn't going to go over well if this was something serious.

"Who the hell wants a piece of me now?" Carri fumed. "So help me Rocky, if this has anything to do with either Jessica or Marie I'm gonna…."

"Ms. Hillard…." The other man present said firmly over Carri's ranting. "We're here to notify you of your inheritance."

"Huh?" Carri managed, honestly dumbstruck. An uneasy silence fell over the little group and even a few people who had looked up at her ranting began to look away or return to what they'd been doing. "Nobody I know died." She said hesitantly. It was true. She felt a bit guilty about that actually. Everybody knew somebody who had died, there were millions and millions who hadn't made it, but not her. Her whole family had survived.

"Is there somewhere we might speak in private?" The man asked.

"I'm good right here." Carri said a bit warily. "These are my family." She said, indicating the others.

"Ms. Hillard, I'm afraid this is a matter of some delicacy. We've been trying to reach you for several weeks, but given the…difficulties… of the past few months and the recovery efforts currently going on…Perhaps we could secure a conference room downstairs?" The second man hedged.

"I'm good right here." Carri said firmly, not budging.

"Very well." The first man said hesitantly, handing her the envelope again. "As I said, my name is Milan Stone and I represent the law firm of Shistick, Crandall, and Billarche. I represent the New York firm, my colleague Mr. Crane, represents the London office," The second man dipped his head in acknowledgement. "And Mr. James Billarche Jr represents the LA, office." The young man behind them with the coats stepped forward and nodded to Carri as well.

"Alright." Carri spat caustically. "Get to the point."

"Very well." Stone said. "Are you familiar with Mr. William Horton Craw?"

"My mother's crazy Uncle Willaby." Carri responded, closing her eyes and then opening them to glare at the man in front of her. "The one that inherited everything from his bastard of a father and then turned his back on the entire family; basically disinheriting everyone and leaving my grandmother and my mother penniless. So what finally did the old bastard in? The alien monoliths or gonorrhea?"

"Carri!" Rocky chided, not liking the idea of talking badly of the dead.

"Oh shush, the guy was a total slut." She drolled. "It's rumored he had harems of women, not to mention drug induced orgies well into his eighties…"

"Yes, well… Mr. Craw's health had been deteriorating for the past two decades…"

"I'll bet it had…" Carri cut in. "The seventies and eighties had to catch up with him sometime."

"Before his death," The lawyer continued firmly, "Mr. Craw did extensive research as to which of his great nieces and nephews were fully deserving of his inheritance; if any."

"And he deemed me worthy of something after cutting off my grandmother and basically watching my mom get trapped into a joke of a marriage with my dad? Good god, what the hell was he thinking?"

"Mr. Craw left a sizable inheritance to each of his grand nieces and nephews, but he believed you stood out among all the others as the most like himself." Mr. Crandall noted.

If he thought he was complimenting Carri, he was wrong. Her eyes narrowed, her jaw set, and her foot tapped rhythmically; a forewarning to those who knew her that she was seriously ready to destroy something.

Crandall, oblivious to the signs, continued in an amiable voice. "He had been watching you for many, many months. He was quite taken with you actually. He was genuinely impressed by the way you rebounded after being disinherited by your father and how you created your own fortune for yourself despite his obvious interferences and attempts to keep you in a position of dependency."

"I wasn't disinherited." Carri growled. "I worked for my dad's production company as an actress."

"And then began your own production company and amassed your own fortune through wise investments." Mr. Stone said. "Mr. Craw was most impressed. As my colleague mentioned, he was quite taken with you and had his people watching you up until his death in late November."

"The pair that was tailing me in Angel Grove and New York." Carri noted bitterly.

"Perhaps." Stone seemed to agree. "Mr. Craw was not known for his subtlety."

"So what did the old bastard leave me?" She asked, arms folded across her chest, her stance defiant. "The mortgage on an old, falling down house….or maybe his mangy old dog?" She sneered.

Rocky didn't know the man she was talking about, she'd never mentioned him, but there was obviously bad blood between them. Carri looked like she was about to rip the men in front of her to shreds.

"I mean," Carri continued snidely, "The last time my mom dragged me over to see the old goat he threatened to have us both arrested if we came within a hundred yards of him."

"As I mentioned." Crandall continued, ignoring her last statement. "Mr. Craw left each of his grand nieces and nephews, nine in total, very sizable fortunes, however the bulk of the estate is to be handed over directly to you."

"And that means?" Carri asked, her voice nearly a snarl.

"That means you are a very wealthy young woman." Stone said. "After taking into consideration the nearly ten million dollars he left to the other heirs, taxes, lawyer fees etcetera…"

"Lawyer fees being a rather large etcetera..I imagine…." Carri snarled.

"After taking everything else into consideration…" Stone continued as if she hadn't interrupted, "You are to inherit approximately nine billion US dollars in accounts, property, stocks, bonds, investments and other holdings….of course those estimates were pre world disaster, but most, if not all, should remain intact and eventually rebound in value."

"Excuse me?" Carri asked, swaying a little. She'd known the old coot was worth a rumored fortune, but nothing along those lines.

"You are to inherit approximately nine billion US dollars in accounts, property, stocks, bonds, investments and other holdings."

"Just nine? Not ten?" She asked giddily, her voice rising a few octaves.

"Holy shit…" Rocky muttered, stunned and wondering if he was hearing the man correctly.

"God damn Rocky…." Jason commented from where he'd slipped up behind the couch. "You just hit the fucking mother load." He laughed, slapping Rocky on the shoulder. "And Tommy just figured out where he's gonna find the rest of the funding to build that city of his." He laughed.

"If you will just sign here." Crandall said politely, handing the manila envelope over to her again.

"What's this?" Carri asked in an unusually soft and quiet voice, as if dazed.

"This is your acknowledgement that you've received your copy of Mr. Craw's last will and testament as well as acknowledgement that we have informed you verbally of your impending inheritance. Eventually, you'll need to fly to Boston for Mr. Craw's internment, which is on hold given the circumstances, and of course to sign the legal documents accepting your inheritance."

"Do I need a lawyer?" Carri asked, numbly signing the receipt for the envelope and handing it back to them.

"We are Mr. Craw's personal attorneys." Stone said. "Our entire firm was founded to care for Mr. Craw's wide ranging interests. We now work for you."

"Oh." Carri said numbly. "Ok."

"Congratulations Ms. Hillard." Stone said. "May we assume that we will see you in Boston at your soonest possible convenience?"

"Yeah, sure…" Carri responded.

"Very good then." Crandall added, bowing slightly, which caused Karone to snicker. "We'll take our leave of you and allow you to continue with your holiday."

"Yeah, sure…" Carri said again as the three men turned as one and left down the hall. "Is that what this is?" She added, sounding more like herself.

"So…" Karone said impertinently, breaking the absolute silence that had formed around the small group. "You and Rocky still getting married?"

Carri whirled around on her, sharp come-back on her lips, but it died unspoken as the triangular charms on their wristbands began to glow and softly chime like a mantel clock; indicating another lead had been found that needed investigating.

Kovu yipped and jumped to the floor, eagerly watching Kim for some sign that she would possibly take him with her this time as the three of them began to move away to a safe place to transport. When it became clear that he'd once again be left behind, he sat down next to Tommy with what could only be described as a canine pout; large head flopping down on equally oversized paws.

Tommy completely commiserated with the smelly beast as he reluctantly let go of his wife. It was the first time the three had openly, if silently, admitted they'd been called back to action by Primus and it was all he could do to keep from refusing to let her go. In his opinion, she was still far too weak to be charging off at some alien dinosaur's beck and call, but his opinion mattered little when Ranger duty called.

"Just…be careful." Rocky said as they left, grabbing for Carri's hand and giving it a quick squeeze. Carri turned and smiled at him, adrenaline pumping away the last of the numbness she felt.

"Yeah, that's an understatement…" Jason quipped. "He means try and stay alive long enough to make him a kept man."

The girls didn't look back, the chiming had become more insistent and they quickened their step toward the stairway. They'd be back within moments of their departure, an odd perk to their current line of work, but for now, it was time to continue the hunt for Zordon's missing shard coins…


End file.
